The Blossoming Potential of French Bloom: 0% ABV Sparkling Wine
I am a lightweight. I don’t mean in the cute “ha ha more than one drink and I can’t drive” kind of way. I mean a lightweight in the way where if I have a single sip of alcohol, I should be forbidden from operating any heavy machinery whatsoever.
In Los Angeles, the city of driving everywhere, this can pose a problem. Let’s say my friends want to have a celebratory night out or a booze-heavy backyard party. That means I’m forced to choose between incurring an extra $30-$60 for a rideshare, begging to carpool like a 6-year-old going to soccer practice, or settling for a lukewarm LaCroix while everyone else has a fun drink.
Point being, when French Bloom asked me to try their award-winning non-alcoholic bubbly, I was more than happy to say yes. I’ve been into the zero-proof beverage movement for a few years now, and while I’ve found quite a few spirits I really enjoy, I’d yet to find a zero-proof wine that didn’t taste like straight up vinegar or grape juice. It’s a relief to say that French Bloom doesn’t have this problem, coming the closest in flavor to actual wine of any alternative I’ve tasted. Let’s break down the experience:
French Bloom offers two varieties of their bubbly: Le Blanc and Le Rosé. While I’m typically more interested in what’s inside packaging than the packaging itself, I do feel that sparkling wine alternatives do have to be cognizant that they are not only competing with a taste, but an entire experience. With that in mind, I really enjoyed these bottles. They look and feel luxurious, placing them firmly within the tier of a “special occasion” beverage.
The Le Blanc was an instant hit for me. Everything about it is refined and delicate, from the flavor to the gentle fizziness that hits the back of your tongue with every sip. It had a heady aroma of freshly baked brioche that had me shamelessly huffing the glass, and which beautifully complimented the flavors of honey and melon followed by a green apple finish. It succeeded in having a layered, fruit-forward flavor without being too sweet.
The rosé had an equivalently delightful mouthfeel, as well as its own distinct taste. One-note flavor profiles is another problem I encounter with non-alcoholic wines, so I was pleasantly surprised. This bottle leaned a bit more tart, with hints of raspberry at the front and a citrusy, tangerine-like finish. In the end, both varieties are sufficiently complex and tasty, so which one you’d choose comes down to a matter of preference.
Ultimately, I was really impressed by French Bloom’s ability to deliver on what no other zero-proof wine I’ve tried has. Does it taste identical to traditional sparkling wine? No. But it captures the experience most people — myself included — are looking for when we reach for that kind of thing. It tastes great, it’s not too sweet, and it doesn’t neglect the celebratory atmosphere that it intends to exist in. So, in a world that is rethinking when, how, and how often it wants to drink alcohol, French Bloom will likely go very far.
Overall MFK (Marry, Fuck, Kill) Rating: Popping bottles at the wedding reception
