When alcohol-free wine stops being the alternative

Noughty Sparkling Chardonnay was included in Heather Lowe’s independently purchased selection of notable non-alcoholic wines for 2026. Lowe, founder of Ditched the Drink, credited it as one of the first bottles to demonstrate that alcohol-free wine could be attractive in its own right.

The recognition returned Amanda Thomson to the original purpose of Noughty: creating a well-made, restrained-sugar wine worthy of the same glassware, food and occasions as conventional wine. Since the brand’s launch, alcohol-free wine has progressed from isolated shelf space to a category attracting serious winemakers and new producers internationally. Noughty’s position remains that removing alcohol need not remove pleasure, ritual or a sense of occasion.