By Laura Forsyth
Embarking on a quest for health amid a world of clinking glasses can be a formidable challenge, especially when dining out. Navigating the landscape of fancy dinners often feels like tiptoeing through a minefield of temptation, where the choice between a glass of wine and an alcohol-free drink can make you feel like the outcast at the table.
But a breath of fresh sobriety has wafted through the dining scene, bringing with it a crisp solution to this age-old predicament. The Ivy Collection, synonymous with elegance and culinary finesse, has taken a bold step to redefine the art of indulgence without compromising wellbeing.
Offering the perfect pairing, The Ivy Collection has joined forces with Zero Zilch Zip, the specialist importer and distributor of the finest alcohol-free wines from around the world. Working closely with The Ivy’s Sommeliers and menu development team, Zero Zilch Zip founder, Tim Pethick has curated the UK’s first fine wine list featuring a selection of 10 premium non-alcoholic wines for trial at six of The Ivy Collection’s restaurants.
From this week, diners at The Ivy Soho, The Ivy Chelsea Garden, The Ivy in the Park: Canary Wharf, The Ivy City Garden, The Ivy Kensington Brasserie and The Ivy Cobham Garden restaurants will have the opportunity to discover premium alcohol-free wines from The Ivy’s new comprehensive list and pair them accordingly with dishes selected from the collection’s seasonal menus. The new wine list includes red, white, rosé and sparkling non-alcoholic wines from Hand on Heart, B1654, Casa Emma Zeero, V.No and Kolonne Null.
Tim Pethick, founder of Zero Zilch Zip, comments: “There is unstoppable momentum in the non-alcoholic category and I applaud The Ivy Collection’s move to support and embrace it. We have found some exceptional non-alcoholic wines from some of the leading artisan producers in the USA, Australia, Germany and Italy that have passed muster with The Ivy Collection’s sommeliers to form this outstanding list. Facilitated by Majestic Wines, The Ivy Collection is once again showing leadership and innovation in the sector. We believe that this is just the beginning, as fine-dining restaurants across the UK realise the opportunity to provide choice and quality to their diners who are looking for a non-alcoholic alternative.”
David Ray, director of bars at The Ivy Collection, said: “We are thrilled to be able to expand our non-alcoholic range of wines with Zero Zilch Zip in the trial restaurants. It’s an exciting time for the category and we are pleased to be able to offer our customers a wider selection of non-alcoholic beverages as part of our range. Pairing wines selected by Zero Zilch Zip with dishes from our menus is a great way to appeal to a huge array of guests.”
It is estimated that more than 25 per cent of 18 to 25-year-olds in the UK are non-drinkers, and nearly 20 million adults are moderating their alcohol intake by switching between alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. Recent years have seen dramatic growth in the low and no-alcohol sector and the growth in the category is predicted to continue at pace. Despite this, it is still quite difficult to find a non-alcoholic wine on a wine list in the UK and even harder to find a decent one.
Pethick added: “Globally winemakers are waking up to the exciting possibilities of creating premium non-alcoholic wines. The growth and development in the quality of non-alcoholic wines and wine alternatives have improved out of sight in the last couple of years. It will be exciting to see what else emerges in the next few years.”
