Red Italian Style
83/100
The short takeOne of Gnista’s more convincing wine alternatives. There’s real structure and grip here, with cherry fruit and oak. The licorice and herbal character make it feel distinctly alternative rather than like conventional Italian red wine, but it works well with food.
Tasted Karl HillHow we score
Serve Slightly chilled, 10–12°C (producer alt-wine guidance).
Who it’s for A savory red alternative to drink with food.
TDS Wineprint
This pour · documented production
In the glass
- Nose
- Dark cherry and dried fruit open together, with licorice and oak giving the aroma its savory, botanical edge.
- Palate
- Structured and savory, with real grip behind the cherry fruit and oak. Some herbal bitterness runs through the sip; the licorice and herbal character keep it distinctly alternative rather than like conventional Italian red wine.
- Finish
- Long, dry, and warming, with lingering oak, spice, and cherry. The savory character carries through rather than ending with the fruit.
Structure and likeness Show Hide
Structure
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Finish length
- Long finish
How wine-like is it?
Separate from the score. A convincing resemblance is not a higher rating.
The structure and grip are convincing, but licorice and herbs keep the flavor distinctly botanical rather than like a conventional Italian red.
The wine
The grip is the reason to put Gnista Red Italian Style on the table. It is structured and savory, with cherry fruit and oak giving the sip a convincing red-wine shape. This is not just an aroma that promises more than the palate delivers: the structure is there when you drink it.
Dark cherry and dried fruit lead the aroma, followed by licorice and oak. The cherry remains central in the glass, but the herbal bitterness makes itself known. That bitterness suits the savory character. It also marks the distance from conventional Italian red wine. Licorice and herbs are too prominent for the alternative to disappear behind the resemblance.
The finish gives the bottle another reason to be taken seriously. Long, dry, and warming, it leaves oak, spice, and cherry behind rather than dropping away once the fruit passes. The grip and the lingering oak carry the same argument: there is enough structure here to drink it with food.
At 83, this is one of Gnista’s more convincing wine alternatives. Its strength is not a perfect imitation of Italian red. It is the combination of cherry fruit, savory character, and a firm, persistent close. Choose it for the table if you want those qualities and are happy for licorice and herbs to remain part of the drink.
83 is typical of the 11 alternative wine bottles we've tasted.
The bottle
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Research notes
Gnista’s product sheet puts the wine alternatives under 0.4% ABV, at 75 cl, made in Kristianstad by Balsgård Foodtech for Gnista Spirits, in small batches in Skåne. The producer’s alt-wine answers say these drinks are not de-alcoholised and are built without fermentation. The bottle photographed for this record is labeled Gnista Red, Italian Style, red wine alternative, and oaky tannins. The label prints 0.5% vol and 75 cl. A side line reads Cabernet, Sangiovese and more.
Where to buy
- Gnista product information
- Package
750 ml
$19.99 (thezeroproof.com)
- Also listed
- Gnista product information · Producer
- The Zero Proof
- Availability
In stock at The Zero Proof (US online, $19.99/750 ml); producer's gnistaspirits.com webshop lists the Red Italian but currently shows it sold out
Availability is market-specific; a producer link does not establish shipping to every country. Prices and availability are independently observed and may change. Retailer listings do not imply endorsement. A different package is labeled as a different format. Reader-service exceptions and commercial links are identified above; neither affects scores, rankings, classification, verification, or editorial coverage.
Product facts
- Producer
- Gnista Spirits AB
- Origin
Malmö, Skåne, Sweden- Bottle / can
- 750 ml
Sources disagree on ABV, Classification, Ingredients, and Price. Send a correction
Sources & verification
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Where sources disagree
Sources disagree on the following points.
- ABV: The displayed ceiling is the product sheet’s under 0.4%.
- Classification: Classified as an alternative. The fermented-brew sentence does not name alcohol removal.
- Ingredients: Displayed ingredients follow the producer sheet. The side line is not treated as the ingredient list.
- Price: The displayed price is the supplied shelf figure.
Evidence at a glance
- Producer documented7 facts
- Retailer sourced1 fact
- Unverified3 facts
Production record
One core fact remains to be documented or rechecked.
- Classification
- Verified
- Method
- Not applicable
- ABV
- Ceiling declaration
- Origin
- Documented
- Record
- Has open discrepancy
Sources
-
Producer gnistaspirits.com
- ABV (sources disagree)
- Production (sources disagree)
- Ingredients (sources disagree)
- Calories
- Barcode (EAN/GTIN)
- Volume
- Country
3 notes
- Production
- Producer says the alt wines are not de-alcoholised.
- Volume
- Reds and Blondes section prints net content 75 cl. Red Italian Style is listed in that section.
- Country
- Reds and Blondes are manufactured in Kristianstad and crafted in Skåne, Sweden. Company address is Malmö.
Product record history Sourced changes and open disagreements. Prior claims stay on the record when sources conflict.
- ReviewedReviewed and published.
- UpdatedCatalog record updated from sourced research.
- OpenDiscrepancyABV, Classification, Ingredients, and Price.
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83/100
Gnista Red French Style is also an alternative.
A glass when you want dark fruit, spice, and a little tannin.
83/100