4 Wines for Dryish January

Happy New Year! I hope you have all had an amazing festive season and are ready to, or already have, dived straight in to 2018.
 
January can be a tough month, with the post-Christmas Blues, the 5 week gap between pay days and of course the loom of New Year resolutions which almost always include weight loss, health/fitness kicks or Dry January. If you are like me and decided to not do dry Jan (I usually do dry Feb) but would still like to reduce your intake of alcohol, a good choice is to choose wines with a lower alcohol percentage (often called lighter wines, 12% abv* and under), or de-alcoholised wine. Here is a little quartet for you to enjoy and to help with this month.
 
1. Ca' Bolani Frizzante Prosecco NV – Laithwaite’s Wine £10.99
Coming in at 10.5% abv* it is a great wine to choose with its light body, grapefruit and lemon aromas, the finish full of apricots. It works well by itself and with chicken dishes or salads. Perfect for the Jan diet too. Buy here.
 
2. Sumika Sauvignon Blanc – Marks and Spencer £7.50
At 8.5% abv* this cheeky little Sauvignon Blanc from Western Cape, South Africa, is still packed full of fruit and flavour even though it has a low alcohol percentage. With the warm climate in the Western Cape this wine has aromas and flavours of peach, elderflower and passion fruits. This makes it perfect on its own or with chicken and pasta dishes. Buy here.
 
3. Torres Natureo De-alcoholised Rosé – Waitrose/Ocado £5.99
Only 0.5% abv* this Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Spain has had its alcohol carefully removed to protect its delicate flavours and aromas. It is one of the best alc free wines on the market. A bit different to the bold Syrahs you may be used to but still has some wonderful red fruits and a nice length. A good option if you are cutting down quite a bit, a nice difference to the usual overly sweet no alcohol wines! Pairs perfectly with vegetable, pasta and pork dishes. Have a look at their other Natureo wines too. Buy here or here.
 
4. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2016 Grifone – Majestic Wine £6.99 per bottle
​This one comes in at 12% abv* as it is very challenging to find a good quality red wine under this, obviously you can go for a de-alcoholised red too. A lovely medium body wine with red cherries, red fruits and smooth tannins makes this perfect to drink by its self or with a light pork dish. Buy here.
 
I hope you all have an amazing year ahead. There are lots of wines to drink and food to be eaten - I cannot wait!
 
Love,
 
Stephie xx

*Alcohol by Volume 

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