Ariel

Ariel Vineyards is a California-based dealcoholised wine brand, founded in 1985 on the Central Coast, co-produced under the J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines family by Jerry Lohr and Barry Gnekow. Ariel entered the dealcoholised wine category decades before it reached mainstream commercial attention, establishing its credentials as a premium producer from the outset. The brand sources grapes primarily from Paso Robles and Monterey County, two of California's most respected growing regions on the Central Coast.

Ariel removes alcohol from fully fermented wine using reverse osmosis, a filtration method that separates alcohol by passing the wine through fine membranes rather than applying heat. This cold-filtration approach has been central to the brand's identity since launch and underpins its positioning at the premium end of the dealcoholised wine category. The AF range focuses on red and white varietals drawn from those Central Coast origins.

The brand is available through specialist alcohol-free retailers and sits in the premium bracket. Ariel's 1985 founding date gives it a heritage that few dealcoholised wine producers can match: it was producing alcohol-free wine well before the sober-curious category existed as a commercial concept, setting it apart from the wave of AF wine brands that emerged in the 2010s and 2020s. For the sober-curious drinker exploring dealcoholised wine for the first time, that longevity offers a useful marker of quality and continuity.

The Collection

Cabernet Sauvignon

Chardonnay