If you freewheeled through the holidays, it might be time to get back on track with a bit more moderation. Read on to discover six delicious wines under $15 that help you ratchet back your alcohol consumption, sugar intake and calorie count. Because January can be just as fun as December. Maybe even better if you do it right.
Non-Alc: NV J.P. Chenet “So Free” Chardonnay, Vin de France
This de-alcoholized white is a bottle for wine lovers. Each swirl of the glass shows that viscosity associated with wine, while exuding aromas of freshly baked apples and lemon zest. But on the palate is where the magic happens. The wine zips in tasting crisp and vinous with a bright centre and tingling acidity that sends satisfaction up through the senses, making the mouth water and lending an almost crystalline quality to the wine. Lovely purity of orchard fruit is laced with sweet butter and vanilla, with a touch of texture on the finish.
Non-Alc: 2024 Vina Tarapaca De-Alcoholized Sauvignon Blanc, D.O. Central Valley, Chile
Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most aromatic white wines out there. Curiously, this bottle doesn’t have much fragrance, but it comes alive on the palate with a zippy, varietally appropriate expression that refreshes like a thing possessed. Expect a full-throttle attack of Granny Smith apple that tastes brisk and quenching, like biting into a piece of fruit just plucked from the tree. That pure, fresh flavour tapers to a brief lime sorbet and fresh pineapple finish. Easy quencher that tastes dry and lip-smacking — just perfect with spicy fare.
Low Sugar: 2022 Boschendal The Pavillion Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon, Western Cape, South Africa
With about 2 g of sugar per bottle, this smart red from South Africa clocks less than 0.5g (1/8 tsp) of sugar per standard 148-mL/5-oz glass. Yet still tastes ripe and fleshy. So nice to see, given many reds under $12 pack much more sugar than that to round out the structure or sweeten the centre. That’s not needed here. The nose and palate teem with oodles of plump dark fruit — blackberry, black cherry and plum — laced with black peppercorn and a sifting of dark cocoa powder. Good deal.
Low Sugar: 2023 Beronia Verdejo D.O. Rueda, Spain
(Vintages 461327, $13.90)
Also bone dry with less than 1/8 tsp of sugar per glass is this brilliant white, which is a steal at less than $14. The fragrance floats up with allusions of kaffir lime leaf, apricot and almond — with a touch of sea spray. Then, it streams in satiny dry, briny-stony and almost nutty with quiet suggestions of white orchard fruit and mixed citrus and a long, slightly pithy finish. Just a delight and more serious than the price would suggest. Stock up because it’s a Vintages release. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Low Cal: NV Pelee Island Lola Light Sparkling Rosé, VQA Ontario
A standard serving of this bubbly contains about 83 calories. So not a lot. But it’s delicious. The fragrance is light and wispy, nodding toward just-ripe strawberries and a dollop of cream. The wine is light and lively with soft, persistent effervescence that creates a mousse-like mouthfeel, while the flavours flutter from red summer fruit to pastry to lemon curd to meringue — and lingers a little bit on the finish. Outstanding wine for the price — and quite low in calories.
Low Cal: 2023 Finca Las Moras Malbec, Argentina
While many Malbecs are inky black and dense, this one is not. It’s a lighter style that’s easy-drinking yet full of ripe, pristine fruit. And it’s low in calories, too — especially for a red wine — clocking just 106 per glass. The transparent ruby-purple liquid opens with a heady, dark-fruited nose and then floods in with plump black cherry and dried plum flavour laced with smoky dark chocolate and a touch of toffee hazelnut. The mouthfeel is crushed velvet with a sheen, and the lit centre keeps it supremely drinkable. Great buy.
