Do you know what is awesome about non alcoholic bubbles? Breakfast. You have have a flute with breakfast. And with Van Loveren‘s Absolute Zero duo, it will be quite a festive celebration long before your first cup of coffee.
Introduction
In The Little House, there are as many bottles of non alcoholic sparkling wines as there is others. There’s always someone who prefers not to drink sparkling wine, or anything alcoholic, for that matter. So I try and keep a few bottles to hand for any upcoming celebrations.
I also try and source non-alcoholic sparkling wines that look glamorous and pretty. There’s nothing more boring than a carton of fruit juice when everyone is tipping curvy bottles into shiny flute glasses.
Towards the end of last year, I got this particularly celebratory gift from Van Loveren, containing a bottle each of their Absolute Zero sparkling wines. Looking every bit as sophisticated as “the real thing” I knew I needed to show these off during the festive season.
To read my blog on Van Loveren’s selection of Chardonnays, please click here!
To read my blog on Van Loveren’s Retief Reserve 2018, please click here!
To read my blog on Van Loveren’s Rhino Run wines, please click here!
Background
A Retief Family enterprise, Van Loveren began making wine in the Robertson Wine Valley since 1937 and risen to become South Africa’s foremost producer of its kind. Today, it resides under the stewardship of the third generation of Retiefs – Bussell, Hennie, Phillip and Neil, the Four Cousins of the eponymous wine brand. It’s other ranges include amongst others the Van Loveren heritage range, Christina single vineyard wines, the Zandvliet estate range, Retief Reserve family collection, the Rhino Run premium conservation range, Tangled Tree and Papillon (press release).
Absolutely no alcohol
Absolute Zero expands Van Loveren’s offering in this segment and follows on the heels of Almost Zero, a trio of wines containing less than 0.5% alcohol that is defined as “non-alcoholic”. By comparison, the new range of sparkling wines has 0.0% alcohol and is perfect to be enjoyed by everyone, anywhere, anytime.
You can order Absolute Zero by going online via www.vanloveren.co.za or it’s available in retail at approx. R100 per bottle.
Eggs and bubbles
I’m very much an egg person, which makes me a great candidate for breakfasts and brunches. For this weekend morning treat, I decided to level up my eggie game to something a bit more dramatic than eggs on toast. Loving the fact that this recipe allows me to use up all the bits and pieces in my fridge, I ended up slotting a combination between a quiche and a spanish omelette into the oven.
A beautiful, quick shortcrust pastry, filled with roasted vegetables, fresh herbs, leftover cheese bits and gorgeously silky free-range eggs, I couldn’t wait to serve it with icy bottles of Absolute Zero.
Because it’s zero alcohol, these sparkles are also low in calories, meaning not only do they taste good, they’re also good for your wellbeing. Plus, they’re vegan-friendly. No more guilty pleasures here!
The green bottle is my absolute favourite. Even though the flagbearer is presented as a classic dry-style sparkling wine, it’s bursting with tropical notes on the palate, a gorgeous crispness with clean lines and stunning strings of fine bubbles.
The Absolute Zero Nectar, however, is the more extroverted sibling, beautifully golden in appearance. The clear bottle is unexpected, but makes for a very stylish sight. Slightly off-dry, you can expect more honeyed flavours that mellows in a long finish.
In conclusion
With an ever-increasing move to healthier, more conscious-drinking and lower alcohol options, these two sparkling wines from Van Loveren are a great place to start. Sophisticated, elegant and filled with the signature Robertson Valley sun-drenched flavours, Absolute Zero should be at the top of your guest list.
They’re perfect for navigating our current alcohol ban and stricter driving laws, or even if you just want to incorporate a few alcohol-free days into your week. You can literally have a glass of bubbles with breakfast. And if that is not a mood-lifter, then I’m not sure what is!
Thank you, Van Loveren, for yet another quality product, with the wellbeing of the consumer in mind. I’ll always have a few of these stylish sippers in my wine racks.
Disclaimer: I was given this product(s) as part of a press drop in exchange for my honest and truthful opinion and review thereof. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are solely those of The Little Hedonist, given in good faith and in no way influenced by the company or its affiliates. All images, unless otherwise stated / credited, are also my own.
1 Comment
Hi Bonita! Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words! I appreciate it so much. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a recipe I could write up – I literally just threw a few things together and put it in the oven! I was winging it! I’ll see if I can recreate it and try to write up the recipe 🙂