01
The harvest
Sauvignon Blanc from Touraine, in the Loire Valley, picked from the grower’s own vineyards. The blush comes from Pinot Noir grown alongside it — skin contact with red grapes, not a colouring dropped in at the end.
A wine, made properly, that happens to have no alcohol in it
Rose gold, properly sparkling, and dry.
Sauvignon Blanc · 0.0% vol · 3.8 bar · 750ml
The wine
A dry sparkling with all the aromas carefully captured
Rose gold in the glass, from Loire Sauvignon Blanc with a hint of Pinot Noir behind it. And it is unmistakably Sauvignon Blanc — gooseberry and grapefruit zest hit first, with ripe strawberry and stone fruit sitting behind them.
Then the surprise: after all that fruit on the nose, the palate is dry. The acidity is balanced, the bubble light but consistent, and the finish satisfying and convincing.
The serve
Three things that change the glass
8–10°C
Not fridge-cold
Cold suppresses the aroma. A little under cellar temperature is where it opens up.
⅓
Use a tulip glass
A large tulip glass. Not a flute. Fill just a third. The empty space above the wine is where the carefully captured aroma lives.
Swirl
More than you would
More than you would with an alcoholic wine. It rewards the extra turn of the wrist.
How it’s made
An Irish story and careful curation, made from the finest Loire Valley wine
It starts as wine. Not a soft drink with wine notes added. Sauvignon Blanc grown and vinified in Chémery, in Touraine, by a grower who has been making wine there a great deal longer than we have been selling it.
The blush is real. The colour comes from Pinot Noir — limited skin contact with red grapes, from the same grower’s own vineyards. That is rosé technique, done properly, not a colouring dropped in at the end.
The wine then travels to a specialist facility in Germany, and this is where most alcohol-free wine is won or lost. Taking the alcohol out of wine is straightforward. Taking it out without stripping the aroma is not.
02
Made as wine
It is vinified as proper alcoholic wine and held at 12°C. That is the vital first step. Good alcohol-free wine begins with good wine.
03
Careful vacuum distillation
The alcohol is removed under a specialist vacuum distillation process, which means the temperature can be kept lower and the flavour preserved.
04
The alcohol comes out
As the alcohol lifts away the aromas go with it — and this is the moment that separates a good alcohol-free wine from a disappointing one. Here they are caught on their way out, and held.
05
The aromas go back
Cooled to 12°C, the captured aromas are returned to the wine. This is why Linnet’s Wing is unmistakably Sauvignon Blanc, and you will know it from the bouquet that greets you in the glass. The only thing missing is the alcohol.
06
Bottled at 0.0%
The wine is sparkling to the same level as a crémant. With the aromas captured and a generous fizz, this is a wine fit for any celebration.
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The name
“And evening full of the linnet’s wings”
It comes from the second stanza of The Lake Isle of Innisfree, the poem by Ireland’s W.B. Yeats.
A linnet is a small finch. Once common enough across Ireland, and the sound of an evening in the countryside.
It’s about wanting to escape to somewhere beautiful. To be in harmony with nature and in good company. At peace with yourself, your company and your surroundings.
Where to find it
Buy it from The Sober Irish
Linnet’s Wing is made by The Sober Irish — an alcohol-free drinks specialist in Belfast, which exists to raise the bar for alcohol-free: to find, and now to make, the drinks worth drinking rather than the ones you settle for.
This is the first bottle with our own name on it. Single bottles, gift packaging and cases are all on the shop.
For trade
Bars, restaurants, hotels, retailers and distributors
Linnet’s Wing is The Sober Irish’s own label. If you would like to stock it, we would be glad to talk terms.
Full specification, analysis and price list on request.
[email protected] · WhatsApp 07707 736072