Many people who embark on a diet often forget that everything they drink also contains calories. And one of the largest culprits is alcohol. A typical glass of wine contains around 100 calories, so downing two or three glasses a day won’t help with weight loss.If you enjoy a glass of wine but are trying to lose weight or you have to avoid alcohol, then alcohol-free wine can often be a reasonable compromise. Eisberg, producers of alcohol-free wine, have recently overhauled their range, with the first one, Chardonnay, available in stores now. Since a small glass has only 26 calories there's no need to worry about gaining weight.
I was pleased to be given the chance of sampling a bottle of the new Chardonnay. I’m not a big wine drinker. In fact I rarely drink at all, mainly since having kids and also because of the calories. But I was looking forward to trying this out.
It's bottled in a slim, clear, 75cl bottle with a screw cap. The label clearly states who it’s made by at the top: Eisberg, followed what it is: Alcohol Free Wine, a description: 'Made from Quality Wine with the Alcohol removed'. The bottom of the label simply states Chardonnay so there’s no need to scour through lines of tiny writing.
Another prominent feature on the front of the label is the ‘26 kcal’ stamped boldly inside a circle on the front. A little more discreetly are the words ‘26 calories per 125ml serving’ circling the 26 kcal. This is particularly helpful for those who are concerned about their calorie intake as well as alcohol consumption.
The back of the label features a QR code which you can use to scan directly through to the Eisberg website. Here you can view content including the option to ‘Take the Pledge’ to take a break from alcohol, and motivational blogs from other drinkers doing the same.
To be honest, I was expecting this to taste like grape juice. I couldn't have been more wrong. As soon as the lid was off, there was the unmistakable smell of wine. Gosh, I even felt that slight dizzy sensation you get after a few glasses (or one in my case). I’d chilled it and poured some out for myself and my husband.
My own view is, yes, it tastes just like white wine. Quite dry, not too sweet, just without that alcohol kick. Since I’m not the ideal person to provide an objective comparison with alcoholic white wine, I decided I’d let my beer swilling, cocktail making, wine connoisseur husband do the honours.
His verdict: It tastes like a nice white wine. Easy to drink, pleasant and makes a totally acceptable alternative to alcoholic wine. He’s not really a wine connoisseur though. He can’t pick out those subtle hints of lemon, ripe peaches and soft vanilla as described on the bottle, which I'm sure seasoned wine drinkers can probably do with ease.
A point to note if you are counting calories - the 26 calories figure is for a 125ml glass which is classed as a ‘small’ glass. However, a standard glass of wine is 175ml. Therefore, pouring out a standard sized glass of Eisberg Chardonnay would provide you with 36 calories. This is still a huge calorie saving on a standard serving of a 12% alcoholic white wine which provides around 130 calories.
If you’re using a smart phone, you can scan the label which features a QR code. This scans directly through to the Eisberg website, where content includes the option to ‘Take the Pledge’ to take a break from alcohol, and motivational blogs from other drinkers doing the same.
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| Old look Chardonnay and New look (Morrisons) |
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| Cabernet Sauvignon already on sale (Morrisons) |
Nutrition information per 100ml Chardonnay: 20.5 calories, 4.5g carbohydrates, <0.3g protein, <0.1g fat. Alcohol content not more than 0.05% vol.
Please note I am not being paid to write this review.
© Diets and Calories 2012
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