Castle Street cafe uncorks an ultra low sugar glugger

JUST when you thought one of the most cosmopolitan watering holes around right now couldn’t get any cooler, Veeno goes and announces a brand new duo of low sugar wine. 

The #eatclean generation is at the forefront of fashion right now meaning anything reduced sugar is ultra-stylish - not to mention better for your waistline. And after last year's big hit - Skinny Prosecco - this could well take the UK aperitivo scene by storm.

The charming thing about Zero Wines is the simple and uncomplicated journey from grape to glass. The close marriage between vineyard and café means Veeno has been able to experiment meticulously with different blends over the past year or so in order to perfect the new recipes. Hold tight for a low sugar white and a low sugar red that have been combined with a specific strain of yeast which ferments almost all remaining sugar content. Genius.


A Veeno spokesman told Confidential: “In recent years, people have become much more conscious of the levels of sugar that they are consuming, a number of low sugar prosecco’s have hit the market but no one has really tackled the still wine market as yet. Our low sugar wines contain just 1.3g of sugar per bottle (compared to 7g per bottle of a leading low sugar prosecco) allowing our customers to enjoy the same great tastings wines with next to zero sugar!"


The sugar-conscious white will be a fresh Zero Grecanico – Chardonnay.  Handpicked grapes are soft pressed and fermented at a controlled temperature of 15°C for 20 days before going through a 4-month ageing process. This promises an aromatic blend of white flowers, green vegetables and herbs that is bright in colour and rich in taste. The perfect accompaniment for oysters and raw fish dishes.

Its ruby red counterpart will be a bold Zero Frappato – Syrah made using grapes from the family vineyard in Sicily that have been vinified for 12 days at temperatures between 24°C and 26°C and aged for six months. It will be intense in colour, almost purple in fact and is best served slightly chilled to bring out a wild berry flavour and delicate spice. If you fancy a tuna steak or a tomato-based pasta dish, this wine is your go-to. 

The wines will be available to buy instore with a buy one get one free promotion on online purchases. We would recommend popping down to your local Veeno café though as the intimate vibe and stylish setting really does get you feeling that Mediterranean mood.  

If you’re familiar with Veeno, you’ll most probably have already spent many a business meeting at one of the Italian Wine Cafés, sipping your way into a spontaneous night on the tiles. The brand came to be in 2013 after co-founders Nino and Andrea discovered a mutual nostalgia for the Italian aperitivo culture over a game of football. They found that little old Blighty was lacking in places to kick back with a few drinks and decent nibbles post-work (or football) and have since plugged the gap par excellence.

Head on over to the Veeno website to find out more and book your place to be one of the first to road test Zero Wines.

*Find Stephanie Whalley's blog, Hungry Harriet, here