Sonoma County has always been a place of reinvention and innovation, an agricultural beacon that has made its bacon, farming apples, prunes, dairy, and many other things in addition to wine grapes. This is the story of farming writ large – grow and make what you need to farm another day.

Grapes, of course, can be for eating or for drinking, but when it came to drinking, until recently, it was as either grape juice or wine. Now grapes can be the main ingredient in non-alcoholic wines that offer better complexity and flavor than ever before, especially if they’re bubbles.

Anaba Wines in Carneros has just released a 2025 Sparkling Albarino alcohol-removed wine from Sonoma Valley, a triumph of good winemaking by longtime winemaker Katy Wilson. With a goal of preserving the freshness, character and structure of the Albarino while losing the alcohol, this is an impressive addition to the non-alc space sourced from Sonoma County grapes.

Las Brisas Vineyard is where the grapes were grown. Wilson used a low-temperature membrane process to remove the alcohol without heating the wine in an effort to preserve the aromatics, texture, acidity and varietal character, fermenting in stainless steel before putting the wine in neutral French oak to age over nine months. Fifty cases were produced.

There’s a twist, however. Anaba partnered with Healdsburg-based Land + Local to source herbs and botanicals to add to the wine. The ingredients thus include pineapple sage, wild harvested wakame, French sorrel leaf, lemon verbena and carbon dioxide.

Land + Local makes small-batch seasonal cocktail mixers and shrubs using whole plants and botanicals, partnering with small local farms in Sonoma and Marin counties. The mixers can be added to wine, cocktails, mocktails, coffees, hot toddies and more.

For other zero-proof options, MacRostie Winery is not yet making a non-alc wine but does offer an Iced Tea Tasting at its Russian River Valley winery, working in collaboration with Russian River Tea Co. in Healdsburg, which sources from local flower growers to make its teas. One of the teas is called Call Me A Cab(ernet), highlighting flavors of hibiscus, raspberry and black current.

Smith Story Wine Cellars at Bacchus Landing also offers zero-proof drinks at its tasting room. Both Hamel Family and Meadowcroft Wines in the southern part of Sonoma County offer dry tastings that emphasize the same sensory experience that happens with its other wines.

Meanwhile, Healdsburg’s Woody Hambrecht is behind Woody’s Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Blanc de Blancs (there’s also a Rosé).

In the end, making a sparkling wine from Sonoma County grapes zero-proof is an achievement. As with all wines, where it comes from and who made it matters greatly.