An Evening of Alcohol-Free Wine Tasting Presented by Edenvale and Sansorium

• Sansorium and Edenvale Host Alcohol-Free Wine Tasting in Toronto

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On the evening of Thursday, August 3, 2023, Fashion Ecstasy had the pleasure and opportunity to attend a wine tasting sponsored by Sansorium and Edenvale. The purpose was to taste five of Edenvale’s award-winning non-alcoholic wines, two of which will be available for purchase on Sansorium’s website in the near future. Sansorium’s wine-tasting events are always highly anticipated and frequently sold out in their native city of Vancouver. This was Sansorium’s first public alcoholic-free wine tasting in Ontario since its inception in April 2021.

• Tasting Sophisticated Non-Alcoholic Wines at Lavelle:

Lavelle was the perfect venue for the tasting for their hip vibes, fancy rooftop pool, and spectacular views of the downtown core. Their Brazilian-Japanese fusion food complimented the wines very nicely. While waiting for the tasting to begin, Kathryn Hepher, one of the founders of Sensorium, was seen greeting the guests and thanking them for attending the tasting. She displayed a lot of warmth and charm in making sure everyone felt welcomed and comfortable.
Once the guests stopped trickling into the lounge and everyone was seated at their tables, the tasting formally began. The MCs for the tasting were Fiona Hepher (Sansorium’s Creative Director and CEO) and Michael Bright (Founder of Edenvale). In their introductions, both Fiona and Michael spoke passionately about their shared belief that people should have access to excellent quality wines that offer the same taste, aroma, complexity, and variety as traditional wines.

• Edenvale – Pioneers in Alcohol-Removed Wine:

Edenvale is an Australia-based, award-winning global pioneer for alcohol-removed wines, as well as one of Sansorium’s most popular brands on their online marketplace. Both Edenvale and Sansorium actively advocate for consumers who want to enjoy sophisticated drinks sans the alcohol.

• Sansorium Brings Quality Alcohol-Free Beverages Online:

Below are the reviews of the wines in the order they were tasted:

• Sparkling Cuveé Spanish – The Expedition Series:

This award-winning sparkling wine is a blend of 70% Macabeo from Spain and 30% Chardonnay from Australia. It had a soft and creamy mouthfeel and strong notes of stone fruit, which is typical of Chardonnay. The Macabeo grapes gave the wine subtle floral notes, a touch of sweetness, and a dry finish. The wine received a positive response from the attendees, some of whom said, “That’s absolutely delicious,” after their first sip.

• Flavorful Varietals Showcase Innovation in Dealcoholized Wine:

• Semillion Sauvignon Blanc – Premium Reserve Collection

This light-bodied white wine contains 95% Sémillon and 5% Australian Sauvignon Blanc. Its complex flavour profile includes strong notes of grass and lemon courtesy of the Australian Sauvignon Blanc grapes. It had a nice, clean, and crisp acidity on the finish, making this wine a very pleasant and versatile food-friendly wine.

• Pink Moscato – Classic Collection:

Everyone loved this wine!
In the glass, this Pink Moscato was the sweetest shade of blush pink. Michael Bright lovingly called it a “flavour bomb” for its rose petal and Turkish Delight notes in the front and strong berry aromas. During the tasting, Fiona shared that this wine was almost discontinued, but then she saw a sudden surge in its sales, and now it’s one of Sansorium’s best sellers.

• Sparkling Shiraz – Premium Reserve Collection:

When this wine was announced, it was initially met with skeptical groans from the attendees. The response was understandable as Shiraz can be a hard style to dealcoholize without losing its bold flavours and weight. In the glass, the wine was a dark ruby red colour and jammy notes on the nose. As for the taste, it had a very smooth mouthfeel with lovely mulberry, plum, and spice notes.

• Grenache Shiraz Mantaro – Premium Reserve Collection:

The last wine is this blend of Grenache, Shiraz, and Mantaro. This was a light to medium-bodied wine with a silky mouthfeel. There were hints of vanilla and raspberry in the aroma, with notes of spice and orange zest on the finish.
Following the tasting, Fiona led a Q&A with Courtney Croucher, an entrepreneur and host of the podcast, Not So Average. During this segment, Courtney shared her journey from binge drinking in university to sober curiosity. A lot of what she said resonated with the attendees, who expressed that they came to the wine tasting because they’re not huge drinkers and are taking a more mindful approach to the role alcohol plays in their lives. This Q&A validated the sentiment that it’s okay to say no thank you when offered an alcoholic beverage and not have to give a reason. It’s fine to be alcohol-free.
At the end of the tasting, everyone received a complimentary bottle of Edenvale’s Sparkling Cuveé Spanish from their Expedition Series.
All opinions are my own. Many thanks to Duet PR for their incredible organization and oversight of this event.

(photos by Aleka Allen)