Spark Blurred Vines

Three Spirit, the brand behind the Blurred Vines, call these alt-wines.  They have a heft and rounded mouthfeel that replicates the feel of a good glass of wine.  They also, however, contain ingredients – adaptogens and nootropics – which they claim will sharpen the mind and body and lift the mood. In effect their drinks aren’t trying to taste like wine, they’re trying to mimic the effect a couple of glassses of wine has on the body, without any of the punishing downsides. They source their ingredients carefully, and use the fermentation process, tannins and wine yeast to get the full chewy quality of a glass of wine.  I think they’re doing a fine job.  These – while not in any way aspiring to taste like any particular wine – offer a similar experience.

Spark is a delicate dried-rose colour and has a fine effervescence in the glass.  There are notes of red fruits in the initial taste, but none of the opal-fruit sweetness; rather we get the tangy acidity of redcurrants and slightly underripe strawberries with a base note of vinegar to add a lift.  These rich flavours are matched by bright green florals from the green tea, and underpinned by deep tannic notes from the black tea.  Fermented apricots add a sharpness and the finish is accentuated with a fiery chilli kick.  It is a well rounded and satisfying mouthful, a properly grown-up alternative to wine to be sipped and savoured.  And if the makers deliver what they promise – and I think they do – it also offers an evening with a bit of extra euphoria.  We all need some of that.