Non-alcoholic Sherry – how to enjoy an alcohol free version of this fortified wine
Sherry sometimes gets unfairly categorised as a drink for old people, but a good sherry can be just as good as any other wine. Especially during Christmas time, a good sherry goes down a treat. But one thing which has always struck us as being slightly strange is the lack of non-alcoholic sherry options out there. There isn't really a single brand or product out there which is marketed as an alcohol-free version of sherry, despite the popularity of the drink.
Luckily, for anyone wanting to enjoy the taste of sherry but without the alcohol, there are some options you can try. Let's take a look:
Make an alcohol-free version yourself
You could actually make your own alcohol-free version of sherry, but be warned, this will require some patience if you're wanting to try this - we're talking weeks. Get yourself some grapes, sugar, and sherry yeast (such as this one), and find a recipe such as this one from ehow, but just add much less sugar and allow the wine to ferment for weeks rather than months. Test the alcohol content regularly to make sure it doesn't exceed more than 1% (or if you're happy with a low alcohol rather than alcohol-free version, let is rise to about 5%). It'll taste pretty good and it is quite satisfying to make your own sherry! Plus, if you're the sort of person who only craves sherry around Christmas time, you can start making it in November and it should be ready for Christmas.
Drink a different type of non-alcoholic wine instead
Although we couldn't find any non-alcoholic sherry products out there, we could find a few alcohol-free versions of other wines. For example, port is a fortified wine similar to sherry and there are some non-alcoholic versions out there, including this port from the Good Food & Wine Company. You're also spoilt for choice when it comes to other types of alcohol-free wines, with supermarkets like Waitrose having a pretty extensive range.
Final thoughts
As you can see, there isn't really a non-alcoholic sherry out there, which is a real shame. Similar to what we said about the lack of non-alcoholic Baileys options, it seems odd to us that none of the major sherry brands have released an alcohol-free version, although hopefully, we've given you some ideas on how to enjoy a taste of sherry without the alcohol.
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.