Zera Chardonnay

ABV: 0.5%
Calories per 250ml glass: 50 (20 per 100ml)

When health food retailers Holland and Barrett moved into the low-ABV drinks market in 2019, it was another indication of just how much this market is growing. A cornerstone of their new drinks offering is the Zera wines range, including this sparkling Chardonnay from Piere Chavin, who’s based in Béziers on France’s Mediterranean Coast.

Now, Chardonnay gets a bit of a bad rap these days, on account of being what Bridget Jones got sloshed on in the 1990s. But the truth is that high-end sparkling wines, and especially Champagne, have always been made from Chardonnay grapes.

So, is this one of those high-end drinks? It really depends on what you’re looking for. It comes in a stylish bottle with a cute, hippyish design. As well as being alcohol-free, it’s vegan, organic and halal. It’s got a nice fruity flavour – melon, sherbet, or peaches, our taste testers couldn’t quite agree. They did agree that it’s a great summer drink, but that it’s not really much like wine. So, if you want fruity refreshment, carry on. If you’re looking for something more like your favourite alcoholic fizz, but without the alcohol, we’d recommend you check out some of the other reviews on these pages.