The Emails That Make Our Week

On a busy week, a thoughtful customer email, and the simple pleasure of sharing a love of wine.

It's been a busy few weeks at Vino Zero, and with Christmas approaching, things aren't showing any signs of slowing down.

We've been adding some exciting new wines to our website, which always takes longer than you might imagine. There's plenty of research involved, from understanding the producers and their winemaking techniques to writing tasting notes and considering food pairings.

Then there's the less glamorous side of running an online wine business. Ordering stock, anticipating demand, coordinating deliveries and keeping everything moving. Thankfully, my co-founder Fiona is an absolute champion at all of that!

I've also been on the road recently, travelling to an alcohol-free drinks trade show while trying to keep on top of the usual emails.

And then there's social media. Ah, social media.

A wonderful place where you can spend years studying wine, visiting vineyards and learning about winemaking, only for someone called 'Darryl' to pop up in the comments and inform you that alcohol-free wine is nothing more than "overpriced grape juice".

Well, yes, 'Darryl'. Let's go with that, if it makes you feel better....

Anyway, I digress.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, a rather lovely email arrived in my inbox.

An email that made my week

It was from a gentleman who had recently decided to stop drinking alcohol but who was very clear about one thing: he still absolutely loved wine.

And he clearly knew what he liked.

He told me about some of the wines he'd enjoyed over the years, from Sauvignon Blanc and Albariño to Provence rosé, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and mature Rioja. He'd developed a real appreciation for different styles and was curious about what the alcohol-free wine world might have to offer.

He'd been exploring our website, reading our wine guides and blogs, and had some lovely things to say about the information we'd put together. He was even considering inviting a few friends over for an alcohol-free wine tasting.

What a lovely email to receive.

I was travelling when it arrived, and knew I wouldn't have time to give it the attention it deserved straight away. So I sent a quick reply to thank him for getting in touch and promised I'd come back to him properly in a few days.

The funny thing is, despite everything else going on that week, I found myself genuinely looking forward to sitting down and writing that reply.

Because this is exactly the sort of conversation I love having.

Everyone has their own wine story

One of the things I've always enjoyed about being a sommelier is hearing people talk about the wines they love.

Sometimes it's a particular grape variety or region. Sometimes it's a wine they discovered on holiday, or a memorable bottle shared over dinner years ago.

And when someone tells me about their favourites, I naturally start thinking about what it is they particularly enjoy.

With this gentleman, there was plenty to explore.

Was it the freshness and acidity of Sauvignon Blanc and Albariño? The delicate fruit of a Provence rosé? Or the richness and savoury complexity of the reds he enjoyed?

His fondness for mature Rioja particularly caught my attention. I've always been fascinated by the influence of oak and bottle ageing, and there are now some remarkable alcohol-free wines that have undergone years, even decades, of maturation before the alcohol is removed.

For someone who appreciates mature red wines, that's a fascinating area to explore. It's something we've explored ourselves in our guide to the best non-alcoholic red wines in the UK.

When I sat down to write my reply, I enjoyed considering which wines might be of interest to him, and explaining why.

I've never particularly liked telling people what they should drink. Wine is far too personal for that.

I'd much rather share a little about a wine, what makes it interesting and how it might relate to something someone already enjoys. Then they can make up their own mind.

That's especially important with alcohol-free wine, where removing the alcohol inevitably changes the body, texture and balance. Some wines retain a remarkable amount of their original character, while others offer something quite different.

But that's part of what makes exploring them interesting.

And I loved that this gentleman was approaching the experience with such an open mind.

The pleasure of sharing wine

One of my favourite parts of his email was the idea of getting some friends together for a tasting.

A few interesting bottles, some good food, and everyone sharing their thoughts about what they're tasting.

Perhaps someone picks up an aroma nobody else notices. Someone discovers a new grape variety. Or perhaps everyone has a completely different favourite.

I've always enjoyed that about wine. You can have six people tasting the same bottle and come away with six different opinions.

And nobody has to be wrong.

I also thought there was something rather lovely about someone who had decided to stop drinking alcohol still wanting to bring friends together to enjoy wine.

Because, really, why wouldn't he?

The anticipation of opening a bottle, the aromas, the food pairings, the conversation and the occasion itself are all still there to be enjoyed.

Why these conversations matter

When Fiona and I started Vino Zero, we wanted to build something around our shared passion for wine.

Of course, there's rather more to running a wine business than tasting wine and discussing grape varieties. Most days involve considerably more spreadsheets and stock management than I'd ideally like!

But the conversations with fellow wine lovers are still one of my favourite parts.

I particularly appreciated this gentleman mentioning our wine guides and blogs. We put a great deal of time into creating that content, so knowing that someone has been reading and enjoying it genuinely means a lot.

And it reminded me that, despite the occasional keyboard warrior, there are plenty of people out there who are simply curious, enthusiastic and interested in discovering something new.

Those are the people I love connecting with.

So, if you've ever been browsing our website and wondering about a particular wine, grape variety or winemaking technique, please feel free to get in touch.

Tell us about the wines you've enjoyed, a memorable bottle you've shared, or something you're curious about.

We certainly don't have all the answers, but we're always happy to share our thoughts.

After all, we started Vino Zero because we love wine.

And it's always a pleasure to hear from people who love it too.

Alex

Co-Founder & Sommelier, Vino Zero

About Alex: Alex is Co-Founder of Vino Zero and holds the WSET Diploma in Wines, with experience across the wine and hospitality industries. He enjoys discovering interesting wines, meeting the people behind them and sharing their stories with fellow wine lovers.