Elton John Unveils Nonalcoholic Sparkling Wine Venture

(Photo: Elton John Zero Blanc de Blancs)

Many-time Grammy Award-winner Elton John has launched a sparkling wine alternative that’s intended to give champagne a run for its money.

Last week, the famous English singer unveiled Elton John Blanc de Blancs, a zero-proof serve now available across the U.K. at a modest price of £10 (around $13 USD). The wine makes use of Chardonnay grapes grown in Northern Italy, which are then processed in Germany and blended with select ingredients including green tea extract. Unlike its competitors — many of which are dealcoholized after the fact — Elton’s wine is fermented with yeasts that don’t produce alcohol from the outset.

The singer says that the technique yields a wine that captures the “joy of a traditional Blanc de Blancs, without compromise.”

“Crafted with care and intention, it embodies the art of inclusion – inviting everyone to raise a glass, savour the sparkle, and share in the timeless celebration of togetherness,” John remarked in a news release.

Were you to compile a list of everything hip and happening in the modern drinks space, it’d probably look a whole lot like Elton John Blanc de Blancs. Over the past few years, nonalcoholic beers, wines and spirits have emerged as an unlikely favorite among celebrity entrepreneurs, many of whom have capitalized on Dry January to launch their boozeless product of choice.

Among the most popular are celebrity-backed nonalcoholic beers. The category has witnessed an explosion of interest, thanks in no small part to A-lister benefactors including Tom Holland, John Mulaney and Charlie Sheen. Elsewhere, we’ve seen zero-proof spirits from the likes of F1 racer Lewis Hamilton and adaptogenic cocktails from one-time space explorer Katy Perry.

Like many of its competitors, the Blanc de Blancs is being pitched not merely as a beverage, but as a personal journey. Elton John toasted 35 years of sobriety last July, sharing an Instagram post showing off celebration cards he received from friends, family and colleagues.

Reflecting on his newly launched venture, John says that the sparkling wine “embodies the art of inclusion – inviting everyone to raise a glass, savour the sparkle, and share in the timeless celebration of togetherness.”