Since finding out I’m pregnant, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol. This has been fine most of the time, although there were moments over Christmas and New Year in particular when I really missed a glass of bubbly!

Decent alcohol free options for pregnant women are few and far between. I found this out quite quickly when I tried some alcohol free beer (Kyle loves it but I’m not a fan of the taste of beer at the best of times) and then tried alcohol free cider from Sainsbury’s (just woeful) before tasting a sample of alcohol free white wine (like grape juice but more sickly).

I was giving up hope of ever finding an alcohol free option that didn’t make me feel like a child when I came across Gratien and Meyer Festillant sparkling wine, which has 0% alcohol in it. I came across this whilst buying actual wine for my Grandad for his birthday on The Wine Society website and thought it was well worth a try.

The bottles arrived just prior to my own birthday, so I took advantage of this and poured myself a glass whilst my parents indulged in the real thing! To be honest, I was expecting the worst; that sweet taste that alcohol free wine seems to possess is really distinctive, but I was proved wrong after my first sip.

The taste of Gratien and Meyer Festillant sparkling wine is satisfyingly dry, especially when served as it is designed to be served: straight from the fridge after a decent period of being chilled. There is no sweet lingering taste to the wine, the bubbles actually look like real alcoholic bubbles, and you really could convince yourself that you’re sipping champagne.

If you’re pregnant, or are avoiding alcohol for other reasons, and have struggled to find a nice alcohol free option to enjoy on special occasions, I really would recommend Gratien and Meyer Festillant sparkling wine. It’s not as cheap as other, supermarket-bought alcohol free wine options, but it’s an absolute world apart in terms of taste and quality, which, when you haven’t drunk any alcohol for seven months, is priceless!