Rosé

Ara takes the long way round with this one. The grapes are harvested and fermented into a full-strength Marlborough rosé first, then spinning cone technology separates the alcohol from the aroma. The aroma goes back into the wine along with a measure of premium grape juice, and that step is what gives the finished bottle body instead of the thin, watery quality that undoes a lot of alcohol-removed rosé. In the glass you get strawberry, lime and guava with a crisp citrus lift. It reads dry and fresh rather than sweet, which is rarer in this category than it should be. Around 13 calories per 100ml, roughly 75% fewer than a 12.5% wine, vegan certified and accredited under Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. The Ara Zero range picked up bronze at the 2022 Royal Hobart Wine Show judged against full-strength wines. Pour it properly cold with a grazing platter on a warm afternoon.