Full Review

Sea Wave Wines

Sea Wave Wines
2019 Low-Alcohol, Pinot Noir, California

Pair this wine with:

Category: Low-Alcohol Red Wine

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 7%
Gluten-Free, Vegan, Sustainability
87 Points
Silver Medal
Highly Recommended
$4
Best Buy
2022 Best Low-Alcohol Red Wine

Sea Wave Wines
2019 Low-Alcohol, Pinot Noir, California

Pair this wine with:

Category: Low-Alcohol Red Wine

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 7%
Dark garnet color. Inviting aromas and flavors of spiced honeyed cherries, marinated beets, and cranberries and caper relish with a supple, crisp, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a smooth, interesting, medium-length finish that presents accents of balsamic drizzled watermelon, palo santo, and grape pips and skins. A fun, carefree low alcohol Pinot Noir with nice aromatics and flavor; a Beaujolais like appeal.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Juicy & Smooth Crisp & Lively Savory Quaffable
Aroma Aroma: spiced honeyed cherries, marinated beets, and cranberries and caper relish
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with accents of balsamic drizzled watermelon, palo santo, and grape pips and skins
Sweetness Sweetness: Dry-yet-Fruity
Enjoy Enjoy: Now
Recipes Pairing:
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A fun, carefree low alcohol Pinot Noir with nice aromatics and flavor; a Beaujolais like appeal.

The Producer

Plata Wine Partners

The Producer
855 Bordeaux Way, Suite 100
Napa, CA 94558
USA
1 707-261-8740

Their Portfolio

91 Abrupt Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 13.5% (USA) $60.00.
91 Abrupt Vineyards 2019 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 13.5% (USA) $60.00.
87 Butterfly Fields 2021 Chardonnay, California 14.1% (USA) $11.00.
90 Crossways Winery 2019 Pinot Noir, California 13.5% (USA) $32.00.
85 Crossways Winery 2020 Chardonnay, California 13.5% (USA) $28.00.
86 Dark Cherrycream 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Monterey 13.8% (USA) $13.00.
88 Dekreme 2022 Cuvee Brut Sparkling Wine, Monterey County 11.5% (USA) $15.00.
88 Dekreme 2022 Cuvee Brut Sparkling Wine, Mendocino County 11.5% (USA) $15.00.
88 High Roller 2021 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County 14.1% (USA) $14.00.
89 High Roller 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 13.5% (USA) $14.00.
88 Laurel Cellars 2021 Pinot Noir, Monterey County 14.2% (USA) $12.00.
85 Laurel Cellars 2021 Chardonnay, Monterey County 14% (USA) $11.00.
87 Pink Moon 2023 California 12.5% (USA) $10.00.
BR Popcorn 2019 Chardonnay, California 13.5% (USA) $16.00. - Bronze Medal
85 Sea Wave Wines 2020 Low-Alcohol Rose, California 7% (USA) $4.00.
87 Sea Wave Wines 2019 Low-Alcohol, Pinot Noir, California 7% (USA) $4.00.
BR Sea Wave Wines 2019 Low-Alcohol, Chardonnay, California 7% (USA) $4.00. - Bronze Medal
90 Seven Rings 2020 Chardonnay, Napa Valley 14.2% (USA) $21.00.
94 Seven Rings 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $34.00.
94 Seven Rings 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $39.00.
88 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 14.1% (USA) $26.00.
89 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $32.00.
86 Smith & Elliott 2021 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 13.8% (USA) $15.00.
87 Smith & Elliott 2020 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 13.8% (USA) $16.00.
87 Smith & Elliott 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $18.00.
89 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 14.1% (USA) $16.00.
87 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $26.00.
90 Smith & Elliott 2022 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 14.1% (USA) $15.00.
88 Thirty Degrees 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 13.5% (USA) $34.00.
90 Tributus 2018 Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $44.00.
89 Tributus 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 13.8% (USA) $24.00.
93 True Oak Estate 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $39.00.
89 True Oak Estate 2020 Red Blend, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $34.00.
93 True Oak Estate 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $18.00.
94 True Oak Estate 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $28.00.
89 True Oak Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $66.00.
90 True Oak Vineyards 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $56.00.
87 True Oak Vineyards 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $19.00.
86 Verada 2019 Tri County, Merlot, San Luis Obispo, Monterey 13.5% (USA) $16.00.
85 Verada 2019 Reserve, Pinot Noir, Tri-County 14.2% (USA) $18.00.
87 Wellsley Farms 2021 Pinot Noir, Tri-County 14.1% (USA) $9.00.
85 Wellsley Farms 2021 Chardonnay, California 14.1% (USA) $6.00.

Low-Alcohol Red Wine

Low alcohol wines are wines in which the alcohol has been greatly reduced, usually under the guise of being a healthier alternative to its full alcohol siblings. Wine, as we know, has many healthy attributes, the most widely known being those which help with heart health. Studies have proven that removal of the alcohol does not remove the helpful antioxidants. In combination with the emergence of the sobriety trend, low alcohol wines have been growing in acceptance and continue to increase in availability.

There are two processes that are the most common ways to remove alcohol from wine: reverse osmosis and vacuum distillation. Reverse osmosis is much more expensive and time consuming, but it tends to be the most popular procedure as it attempts to remove all of the individual elements that make wine desirable from the alcohol itself. The wine concentrate is removed and the alcohol/water compound is boiled at a low enough temperature to ensure the removal of the alcohol without the vaporization of the water. Once enough alcohol is removed from the water, the water is returned to the wine compound. Vacuum distillation, on the other hand, slowly boils the wine in whole in order to get the alcohol to evaporate.

The difference between the two processes is a difference in flavor and aromas. Particularly, red wine loses its aroma in a vacuum distillation (as many aromas float into the air through the evaporation of the surface alcohol which is, of course, greatly reduced) and can lose many of its tannins during reverse osmosis (the separation of its parts destroys some of the texture). Out of the two, reverse osmosis retains the character most, however, there has yet to be a low-alcohol wine that completely retains the full profile of its original.

One other, more natural, way that low-alcohol wine is made is by picking grapes that have less sugar which can turn into alcohol during the fermentation process. Vintners pick grapes when they are slightly underripe, or remove the leaves to slow the vine's sugar making ability. These wines tend to keep the mouthfeel and texture, but the flavor profile is different than would come from fully ripe grapes. Also, these wines have a much higher ABV, though lower than their full alcohol counterpart (as low as 5.5%- reverse osmosis and vacuum distillation can remove alcohol almost completely, to .2%)

One can drink low alcohol wines anytime they would try the real thing- as a nice evening relaxer, an addition to a beautiful steak, etc. However, one should expect that the wine may come across a bit less polished and more one dimensional.