When finding alcohol-free food pairings, think flavour first

At the London Wine Fair in May, I hosted a fascinating discussion on alcohol-free food pairing with three people who really know their stuff: Harry Cooper from Counter 71 in east London, Rob Buckhaven, drinks editor at the Metro, and Christine Parkinson, co-founder of the World Alcohol Free Awards.

And honestly? This conversation felt like a bit of a turning point when it comes to alcohol-free wine and wine alternatives.

For years, alcohol-free drinks were treated as the awkward choice in food-led venues – normally a sweet offering, without any complexity for food pairing. But the wines we tasted at the London Wine Fair this year showed just how far things have moved on. Acidity, tannins, texture, minerality, length – all the things sommeliers and wine lovers look for in wine are now showing up beautifully in alcohol-free bottles too.

What really came through from this expert panel was this: food pairing is no longer about ‘replacing’ wine, it is about finding drinks that genuinely work with food and sometimes do things that traditional wine struggles to do.

Cooper talked brilliantly about how alcohol-free pairings can actually give chefs and sommeliers more flexibility. Without alcohol dominating the palate, delicate dishes suddenly have more space to shine. Buckhaven pointed out that consumers are becoming far more adventurous and open-minded, especially when the drink itself feels grown-up and considered. And Parkinson highlighted just how dramatically quality has improved in recent years, particularly thanks to better base wines, smarter winemaking methods and new aroma recovery techniques.

So what did we pair at the show? The standout opening serve was Bolle Grand Reserve Blanc de Blancs. We tried it with a caviar bump, but I can see how this would also work well with oysters and seafood, as well as a standalone welcome apéritif.

One of the most talked-about pairings of the session was Jörg Geiger Cuvée No 11, an apple-based sparkling drink with herbs and spices, with a parsnip cake created by Counter 71 – a pairing directly from its menu. It was a brilliant reminder that alcohol-free drinks do not have to be a wine to work with food. The drink’s layers of unripe orchard fruit, oak, spice and earthy complexity made the whole pairing feel deeply autumnal and luxurious.

And then there is Zeno White, which deserves a mention because it demonstrates how useful leaner, mineral alcohol-free white wines can be at the table. Dry, clean and citrus-driven, it works brilliantly with grilled courgette and halloumi skewers. The key is restraint: you do not always need power in a pairing – sometimes elegance wins.

A few practical tips came up repeatedly during the session:

• Acidity is your friend: it keeps pairings lively and food-friendly.
• Texture matters hugely in alcohol-free wine because alcohol normally provides body.
• Bitterness and savoury notes can be incredibly useful with richer dishes.
• Sparkling wines remain one of the easiest styles to pair across a whole meal.
• Do not overcomplicate things. Sometimes the best pairing is simply a drink you genuinely want another glass of.

One of the best bits of advice from the panel was also the simplest: stop obsessing about matching every course perfectly. We are moving away from rigid rules and towards something much more enjoyable, of combinations that make food taste better, ensure everyone has an equal experience and make people feel included at the table.

Laura Willoughby is the founder of Club Soda