The One Nonalcoholic Sparkling Wine Brand We Regretted Buying

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Here at Tasting Table, we're ordinarily big fans of Josh Cellars. After all, it's the top-selling premium wine brand in America for a reason. Josh has even accrued a low-key cult following thanks to its unique intersection of decent quality and more-than-decent affordability. The wine has inspired fans to sing on Instagram, like this iconic jingle, which remarks, "What are my fall plans? I'll be watching 'Gilmore Girls' with a bottle of Josh," as well as the classic meme format, "Last night we let the Josh talk." Elsewhere online, a viral post on X depicts a bottle of Josh at the Last Supper. Still, even popular faves can (and sometimes do) miss the mark. In Tasting Table's ranking of nine non-alcoholic sparkling wines, Josh Cellars Non-Alcoholic Sparkling fell to last place.

The brand's website describes its Italy-made Non-Alcoholic Sparkling wine as "refreshingly vibrant," made from Glera grapes with notes of "pear, citrus, and green apple" and a "bright hint of acidity." In execution, however, as we mentioned in our review, "[T]he nose is a smack of sugar akin to marmalade and cotton candy grapes — far from the brand's compelling descriptor of pear, citrus, and green apple." Aromatics notwithstanding, the palate was even worse, with "cloying artificial sweetness that borders medicinal," likely due to the 10.6 grams of added sugar, "more than double that of almost all other products reviewed." Normally, we're saying "Pass the Josh," but in the case of the winery's Non-Alc Sparkling, we're actually passing on the Josh, thanks.

Still, in true Josh fashion, this bottle delivers on price point. At a Target in Chicago, a full 750 is currently on sale for $14.99 (although its lone customer review gives the wine one star, writing, "Just meh"). The same bottle costs $12.09 via TotalWine, but the site's product reviews echo our criticisms: "Okay But Still Not Great," and "Sparkling Wine That Falls Short [...] too sweet for my taste."

We've previously praised Josh's prosecco in our lineup of low-cost "champagnes," sweeping competitors from Martini & Rossi to Mionetto and more. Clearly, the winemakers know what they're doing, and do it well — but it's worth noting that Josh Cellars' Non-Alcoholic Sparkling is a relatively new product, and might be in need of a little more R&D to hone. The wine launched in June, marking the brand's first-ever foray into the non-alc spirits category. We're willing to give this bottle of bubbly some time and come back for another try later on. As our taste-tester noted, "Should future iterations reel back on the sugar, I'd be interested in giving this product a second chance."

Don't let this ugly duckling stop you from being a card-carrying Josh fan (some diehards even spend upwards of $60 on a Josh Cellars logo-emblazoned sweatshirt, available on the company's website ... it's pretty sick merch, honestly). But, when zero-proof-sparkling-wine-o'clock strikes, opt for another brand — like Bolle Blanc De Blancs, our top pick for non-alcoholic sparkling wines.