Best Wine Alternatives To Beer For Game Day, Expert Picks

For a beer alternative on game day, reach first for crisp, sparkling non-alcoholic bottles and botanical spritzes—think TÖST, Proxies, Three Spirit, and Kally—then add a couple of dealcoholized classics like Giesen and Codorníu for familiar, wine-like profiles. These brands consistently show up in independent tastings and roundups, including Wirecutter’s nonalcoholic wine guide, the Wine Enthusiast buyer’s guide, and Wired’s expert picks, which highlight options that stay refreshing, food-friendly, and easy to serve at scale (see the Wirecutter review, the Wine Enthusiast overview, and the Wired roundup). These are the styles we prioritize in our game-day guides at My Paired Wine.

My Paired Wine

At My Paired Wine, we start with the dish, not the bottle. On game day, pairing to wings, pizza, nachos, and dips leads to smarter choices than any brand-first list. Our guidance stays price-smart across reds, whites, and select agave or botanical alternatives, with clear buying cues for retail runs and DTC case buys that actually stretch for crowds. Throughout this guide, look for quick “why it works” notes and pointers to our internal playbook by dish so hosts can shop fast and pour with confidence. We map pairings to classic game-day dishes so you can shop once and pour all game.

How to choose beer-like wine alternatives for game day

Carbonation, sessionability, and snack compatibility are the big three. You’ll get the most “beer-like” refreshment from NA sparklers and botanical spritzes, while dealcoholized wines supply familiar grape profiles.

• “Dealcoholized wine starts as regular wine; alcohol is gently removed—via reverse osmosis, vacuum distillation, or spinning-cone columns—so aroma and flavor remain, typically to under 0.5% ABV.” Research details how these methods preserve key volatiles in quality examples (see this Foods journal article).
• “Wine alternatives are non-fermented or lightly fermented drinks built from teas, kombucha, botanicals, or verjus to mimic wine’s acidity, tannin, and complexity—often lightly sparkling and designed for food.” Consumer tastings and expert roundups underscore how these blends act like wine at the table (see Wirecutter and Wine Enthusiast above).

Quick-selection checklist:

• Prioritize bubbles for beer-like refreshment: NA sparklers and botanical spritzes shine.
• For salty, fatty snacks, pick blends with bright acidity and a hint of tannic grip.
• For crowds, buy cases or multipacks; the no/low-alcohol category is growing around 7% CAGR through 2026, broadening formats and promotional pricing (see this category analysis from WineGlassMarketing).

Style comparison at a glance:

TÖST

TÖST’s tea-based, sparkling blends deliver crisp bubbles, gentle tea bitterness, and balanced sweetness—mimicking beer’s easy-sipping refreshment without fatigue over a long game. Serve well-chilled (38–42°F), pour into beer tumblers, and add a citrus peel for aroma. For big groups, stock cases; it’s a sessionable, low-sugar option that plays nicely with salty snacks, fried bites, and fresh salsas.

Proxies

Built for the table, Proxies’ blends layer fruit, spice, herbs, and a touch of tannin for a wine-like mouthfeel that stands up to pizza, charcuterie, and crowd-pleasing dips. For wings and nachos, choose herbal or peppery bottlings; for milder dips, lean fruit-forward. Many releases are still, but seek out lively or spritzy cuvées when you want extra “beer-like” refreshment.

Three Spirit

Three Spirit’s plant-science approach brings complex, slightly bitter, amaro-adjacent profiles that shine between bites—great for guests who enjoy IPA bitterness or herbal spritzes. Sip with salty snacks to let the savory and bitter notes pop. Wine pros have spotlighted this new wave of nonalcoholic options for their complexity and mixability (see Wine Spectator’s feature on exciting NA picks).

Kally

Kally’s verjus-based Rosé Sparkler drinks like a dry, elegant fizz, with biodynamic organic verjus from California’s Alexander Valley lending zippy acidity and delicate aromatics. That brightness slices through fried foods, pigs in blankets, and creamy spinach-artichoke dip. Serve ice-cold in flutes or stemless whites; for a lighter spritz, batch with citrus wheels and a splash of soda.

Giesen

For familiar “grape” cues, Giesen’s dealcoholized varietals deliver. Giesen 0% Premium Red (Pinot Noir-style) clocks in under 0.5% ABV yet retains varietal markers many guests expect—light red fruit, gentle spice, soft tannin. It’s ideal when someone asks for “real wine” flavors. Pair with pizza, sliders, or BBQ sauces; chill lightly to 50–55°F for extra refreshment.

Codorníu

Alcohol-removed sparkling from houses like Codorníu offers a classic-feeling bubbly for toasts and easy beer swaps. Gentle dealcoholization techniques—vacuum distillation and spinning-cone columns—help preserve aromatics and lively mousse in higher-quality examples (see method details in this Foods journal article and this Coravin explainer). Choose a brut-style profile for drier, beer-like snap; buy by the case for tailgates.

Unified Ferments

If your crowd loves natural wine or sour beer, Unified Ferments delivers kombucha-style, tea-driven complexity with brisk acidity and light effervescence. That tart, slightly funky character loves tangy sauces, vinegar slaws, and buffalo wings—echoing acidity and refreshing the palate between spicy bites.

Smart pairings for wings, pizza, nachos, and dips

• Spicy buffalo wings: Chill slightly sweet or fruity NA sparklers to soften heat; botanical blends with a little tannin add grip.
• Pepperoni pizza: Dealcoholized reds (Pinot Noir-style) and savory Proxies balance fat and spice.
• Nachos with jalapeño and cheese: High-carbonation picks like TÖST or a verjus sparkler cut richness and reset the palate.
• Creamy spinach or artichoke dip: Dry NA bubbly or verjus-based spritz refreshes between creamy bites.

“Food-first pairing means matching a drink’s acidity, tannin, sweetness, and bubbles to a dish’s fat, salt, heat, and umami. On game day, prioritize bubbles and bright acidity to cleanse the palate and add a touch of sweetness to cushion spice without overwhelming flavor.”

Dish-by-dish snapshot:

Buying tips and value across DTC and retail

The no/low-alcohol category is expanding at roughly 7% CAGR through 2026, which means better selection, more formats, and frequent case promos—useful when you’re hosting a crowd. Practical moves:

• Retail: Compare per-bottle pricing on multipacks; check cold-box availability for last-minute kickoffs.
• DTC: Hunt for case discounts, seasonal bundles, and subscription perks as producers scale—great for mix-and-match flights.

Quality cues for dealcoholized wine: look for reverse osmosis or spinning-cone methods, which better preserve aroma compounds and mouthfeel (see this Coravin guide to NA and low-alc wines). My Paired Wine spotlights producers using transparent methods and crowd-ready formats so you can buy with confidence.

Serving and batching tips for tailgates and living rooms

• Temperature and glassware:
  • Sparkling and botanical spritz: 38–42°F in beer tumblers or stemless whites.
  • Dealcoholized reds: lightly chill to 50–55°F for freshness.
  • Preserve fizz by opening just before serving; keep backups on ice.
• Flight strategy: Set out a 3–4 bottle sampler—“Crisp & Bubbly,” “Tannic & Savory,” “Fruity & Soft,” and “Classic (Dealcoholized)”—so guests can discover their lane fast; it’s the format we use at My Paired Wine.
• Quick pitcher templates:
  • Citrus Spritz: 1 bottle NA sparkler + 4 oz fresh citrus juice + citrus wheels; top with soda if you want more lift.
  • Botanical Cooler: 1 bottle wine alternative + 6–8 oz chilled black or green tea + long orange peel; serve over ice.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between dealcoholized wine and a wine alternative?

Dealcoholized wine begins as standard wine, then alcohol is removed—often to under 0.5% ABV—using methods like reverse osmosis or spinning-cone columns. Wine alternatives never contain alcohol and use teas, kombucha, botanicals, or verjus to mimic wine’s structure; My Paired Wine labels both clearly in our picks.

Which styles pair best with spicy wings and salty snacks?

Choose crisp, bubbly NA options with a touch of fruit or botanical blends with light tannin; dealcoholized reds match barbecue sauce, while verjus-based sparklers cut through fried, salty bites. My Paired Wine’s dish-first charts make this fast.

How do I serve NA sparklers so they feel festive?

Chill to 38–42°F, pour into flutes or beer tumblers, and add a simple citrus peel; open just before pouring to maximize bubbles and aroma. These are the serving cues we use at My Paired Wine.

What formats work best for crowds and tailgates?

Bring cases or multipacks and set a 3–4 bottle sampler so guests can compare styles. My Paired Wine’s flight template—sparkler, botanical, and one dealcoholized red—keeps it simple.

How do I build a sampler flight so guests can compare styles?

Offer one crisp sparkler, one fruity sparkler, one tannic botanical blend, and one dealcoholized varietal, labeled “crisp,” “fruity,” “savory,” and “classic.” My Paired Wine uses this layout for quick, confident picks.