Amanda Thomson, a former BBC correspondent and founder of Noughty, has built a premium alcohol-free wine brand since 2019. In interviews about the concept, Thomson says she aimed to offer wine drinkers the experience of wine without alcohol, positioning alcohol-free wine as part of the wine industry rather than a separate or watered-down alternative. She describes a “light bulb moment” from her own difficulty finding a drink when she was not drinking, which led her to argue that “millions of wine lovers” were not being served. Thomson says Noughty starts with making what she considers a good wine first, then removes the alcohol, emphasizing a distinction from simply mimicking other products. She also frames the market shift as driven less by moral arguments and more by changing consumer attitudes, particularly among younger drinkers who may be more open to moderation. The brand’s approach highlights quality and a modern social style of drinking, including alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in the same setting. Overall, coverage focuses on how Noughty seeks to expand demand for alcohol-free wine while pushing for acceptance within traditional wine culture.
Noughty founder Amanda Thomson promotes premium alcohol-free wine since 2019
Amanda Thomson, a former BBC correspondent and founder of Noughty, has built a premium alcohol-free wine brand since 2019. In interviews about the concept, Thomson says she aimed to offer wine drinker...
- Amanda Thomson founded Noughty, a premium alcohol-free wine brand, in 2019.
- Thomson says she created the brand to give wine drinkers an alcohol-free wine experience.
- She describes making a good wine first and then removing alcohol, rather than merely mimicking.
- Thomson argues alcohol-free wine is a building block within the wine business, not an adjunct.
- The brand’s rise is linked to changing attitudes, including more acceptance of moderation among younger consumers.
Amanda Thomson, a former BBC correspondent turned award-winning entrepreneur with a Champagne taste for innovation, founded Noughty, a premium alcohol-free wine brand, in 2019. She set out to redefine one of France’s most cherished institutions with a deceptively radical premise: offering wine lovers across the globe a taste of the good life while always remaining in good spirits. In doing so, she brings a distinctly modern twist to one of the world’s most treasured traditions. Thomson sees herself as an architect of a seismic shift within the wine industry.
3 months agoAmanda Thomson, a former BBC correspondent turned award-winning entrepreneur with a Champagne taste for innovation, founded Noughty, a premium alcohol-free wine brand, in 2019. She set out to redefine one of France’s most cherished institutions with a deceptively radical premise: offering wine lovers across the globe a taste of the good life while always remaining in good spirits. In doing so, she brings a distinctly modern twist to one of the world’s most treasured traditions. Thomson sees herself as an architect of a seismic shift within the wine industry. Trained under the legendary sommelier Gérard Basset and educated at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, she combines deep wine expertise with a sharp understanding of evolving consumer psychology. Her vision emerged from a simple but revealing personal experience: “There was nothing for me to drink when I wasn’t drinking.” That observation became what she describes as a “light bulb moment,” leading her to realize that “millions of wine lovers around the world were being lost to water.” What makes Thomson particularly compelling is the way she frames alcohol-free wine not as a compromise, but as a sophisticated innovation capable of expanding the wine industry itself. “We’re actually taking market share away from the water business,” she argues, insisting that alcohol-free wine is not “some sort of adjunct,” but rather “a building block in the wine business.” Her focus remains firmly on quality. “We haven’t mimicked,” she explains. “We’re making a really good wine to start with. Then we’re de-alcoholizing it.” The distinction is central to her vision. Perhaps most strikingly, Thomson presents the rise of alcohol-free wine not as a moral crusade, but as a cultural recalibration driven largely by younger consumers. Gen Z, she suggests, is “letting go of preconceptions” and embracing moderation without stigma. Her description of “zebra stripe drinking”, alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages throughout an evening, captures a broader social transition in which wellness and pleasure are no longer treated as adversaries. Amid all the buzz, one question lingers: will the wine industry embrace alcohol-free wine as the wine of the future?
3 months ago
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