Wine proxies like these show that there is no rigid recipe. It is a category for beverages whose raw materials are refined through fermentation or distillation and then combined to form a cuvée. Some are more strongly guided by the acidity, tannin or aroma of wine. Others consciously move away from this and develop a completely independent taste language.
It is not crucial whether the drink actually tastes like wine. What is crucial is whether it possesses the complexity, tension and gastronomic depth that make conscious tasting and accompanying a meal interesting.
Sparkling Tea, Pét-Nat Tea and Kombucha: Tea as a Food Accompaniment
From a cultural-historical and sensory perspective, tea is one of the most complex beverage categories alongside wine. Both beverages are deeply connected to their regions of origin, centuries-old traditions and different forms of artisanal processing.
As with wine, numerous factors also determine the later taste of tea: geographical origin and growing conditions, plant variety, harvest time and the type of processing. Wilting, rolling, drying, oxidizing, roasting, maturing or fermenting can create completely different beverages from the same plant material. Research results show that cultivar and origin as well as harvest and processing significantly shape the chemical and sensory profile of a tea (Bortolini et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2019).
From the leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis, white, green, yellow, Oolong, black and dark tea, among others, are produced. It is important to note: What is traditionally often referred to as "fermentation" in black tea is predominantly enzymatic oxidation. Enzymes promote the oxidation of the polyphenols contained in the leaf and thus contribute decisively to the color, aroma and structure of black tea (Wang et al., 2019).
Tea naturally possesses many properties that are crucial for a gastronomic beverage accompaniment: tannins, bitterness, umami, aromatic depth, texture and length. Depending on the variety, origin and processing, it can appear floral, grassy, citrusy, nutty, smoky, earthy, fruity or spicy (Bortolini et al., 2021).
In many Asian countries, tea accompanies a meal with a matter of course that in Europe is more reserved for a glass of wine. In this country, however, it is rarely understood as an independent accompaniment to a menu. Modern production methods can bring tea closer to the sensory expectations that a European palate has long associated primarily with wine: through blending, fermentation, extraction or carbonation, beverages with additional acidity, texture, perlage and length are created, which at the same time preserve the character of the tea.
This makes these beverages easier to use as an aperitif or meal accompaniment in European-influenced cuisines. They do not replace classic tea, but open up another approach to its aromatic diversity and gastronomic depth.
Sparkling Tea, Pét-Nat Tea, Kombucha and Wine Proxy in Comparison
Sparkling Tea: Tea with Perlage
Sparkling Tea is usually based on a cuvée of different teas and tisanes. Tisanes are infusions of plants that do not come from the classic tea plant Camellia sinensis - such as herbs, leaves, flowers, fruits or spices.
The individual components are often extracted at different temperatures and brewing times and then blended together. Fruit juices, verjus, herbal extracts or other botanical components can add additional acidity, body and aromatic depth.
In almost all Sparkling Teas, the finished cuvée is carbonated; fermentation of the entire beverage is usually not the focus. Sparkling Teas can therefore appear light and accessible, but at the same time have enough structure for an aperitif, a meal accompaniment or a festive occasion.
An early and particularly independent example from the German-speaking area is Von Wiesen from Germany. The project consistently transfers the idea of Sparkling Tea to the aromas of a Central European landscape. Instead of green tea, black tea or oolong, regional herbs and leaves such as verbena or blackberry leaf form the basis. In addition, there are fruits from regional, organically managed farms and natural orchards.
The existing sweetness comes from the direct juices used; no additional sugar is needed. In Eisenkraut & Quitte, for example, a verbena infusion and quince juice meet hops and a small amount of juice from lactic acid fermented celeriac, which adds additional structure and umami. Fermentation is therefore definitely part of the production here, but only shapes a single component and not the fundamental character of the drink. After blending, the cuvée is carbonated and bottled. Here, the primary aromas of regional fruits, herbs and leaves are in focus.
An Austrian example is La Maison Tea Royal, a joint project of the Schauer and Firmenich wineries from Southern Styria. Here, classic tea varieties are more in focus, combined with herbs, flowers, spices and components from their own vineyards to create non-alcoholic cuvées.
Pét-Nat Tea: Naturally Fermented and Sparkling Tea
Pét-Nat Tea combines tea or herbal infusions with natural fermentation. The name is derived from "Pétillant Naturel". As with its role model from the wine world, fermentation not only creates new aromas and structure, but also the natural perlage.
In contrast to classic Sparkling Tea, the tea base is flavor-transformed. Yeasts and bacteria convert sugar and produce acidity, carbonic acid and new aromatic compounds. Depending on the raw material, culture used, fermentation time and maturation, the beverages can be floral, herbaceous, fruity, earthy, spicy or distinctly characterized by fermentation notes.
A formative example is AMA Impossible Pétillant Naturel, formerly AMA Brewery, from the Basque Country. AMA works with high-quality origin teas and herbs from smaller farms and regional spring water. The infusions are naturally fermented with selected yeast and bacterial cultures and then continue to develop in the bottle. Depending on the bottling, both non-alcoholic and reduced-alcohol Pét-Nat Teas are produced.
The teas and plants used are not neutral carriers, but rather shape the character of each bottling. The non-alcoholic AMA No. 540 Lemongrass, based on Sencha green tea with citrus leaves, green herbs, dry hay and fine spice notes, appears fresh and straightforward. The AMA No. 5 Jasmine Silver Needle with 1.5% vol, on the other hand, shows a floral, almost honey-like aroma with notes of acacia and white flowers. Fermentation, maturation and natural perlage expand the original aromas and give the beverages additional texture and depth.
For us, Combuchont from Upper Austria also clearly belongs in the Pét-Nat Tea category. Chef Klemens Gold processes high-quality Alpine water, Gyokuro and Oolong and ferments the teas with a specially cultivated yeast culture. The resulting ferment is then assembled with, among other things, wood-aged tea and botanical components such as fig leaf or shiso.
In the non-alcoholic W/O series, the perlage is also predominantly created by its own fermentation: Around 60 percent of the carbonic acid forms in the drink itself. The remaining approximately 40 percent comes as naturally obtained CO₂ from the wine fermentation of the Bründlmayer winery. Combuchont thus combines natural fermentation, assemblage, maturation and supplementary carbonation.
The W/O series also shows that the boundaries between Sparkling Tea and Pét-Nat Tea are not always completely rigid. Crucial for our classification is which production step shapes the character of the drink. Since in Combuchont the fermentation transforms the tea base and generates a significant part of the perlage, we classify the bottlings as Pét-Nat Tea.
Since alcohol can also be produced during natural fermentation, Pét-Nat Tea is not automatically a 0.0 percent product. Some bottlings are non-alcoholic, others fall into the low-alcohol range.
Kombucha: Fermented Tea
Kombucha also starts with tea. Traditionally, a sweetened tea infusion is fermented with the help of a symbiotic culture of yeasts and bacteria, often referred to as SCOBY (Wang et al., 2022).
During this process, yeasts break down part of the sugar, forming small amounts of alcohol and carbon dioxide, among other things. Acetic acid bacteria further metabolize part of the alcohol produced, creating acetic acid and other organic acids. This fundamentally changes the tea: the sweetness decreases, acidity develops, and the aroma develops additional fermentative layers (Wang et al., 2022).
Kombucha can take many different forms. Some products are light, refreshing thirst quenchers in small bottles. Others are dry, complex, and explicitly designed as gastronomic accompaniments. Tea type, sugar content, fermentation time, temperature, and the composition of the culture used influence the result. Fruits, herbs, or spices can additionally shape the aroma profile subsequently or already during fermentation (Wang et al., 2022).
BOUCHE from Berlin, for example, produces kombucha and limited proxy wines. FOLK from Copenhagen works with raw, unpasteurized, and living kombucha. The beverages are slowly fermented and unfiltered. Fruits, berries, herbs, and flowers complement the tea without overpowering its fermented character.
Kombucha is not automatically a 0.0 percent product. During fermentation, yeasts form alcohol, which acetic acid bacteria partially convert into acetic acid. Depending on the recipe, microorganisms, fermentation time, and storage, residual alcohol may remain in the finished beverage (Chan et al., 2021). At kein&low, we therefore indicate the alcohol content separately for each product.
Fermented tea also forms the basis of many Wine Proxies. However, in these cases, kombucha is not the finished beverage, but a building block that contributes acidity, texture, and fermentative depth to the later cuvée.
With SIUS from Austria, a controlled kombucha fermentation from selected teas forms the aromatic framework. It contributes organic acids, texture, and length. The base is then further developed with herbs, wood, and regional fruits into the respective cuvées.
Nivers from France pursues a particularly time-consuming approach. High-quality tea bases are fermented with a kombucha culture for at least six months. Hot and cold extractions serve to develop and balance tannin, umami, and fine acidity. Only then are the ferments blended with verjus from Bordeaux and botanical infusions.
Although kombucha or fermented tea forms a central basis for these producers, we classify the finished beverages as Wine Proxies. The decisive factor is that the fermentation approach is subsequently further processed, refined, and built up with other components to form a new cuvée. Kombucha here is not the goal, but a building block for additional acidity, structure, and aromatic depth.
The boundaries between Sparkling Tea, Pét-Nat Tea, Kombucha, and Wine Proxy are not always clear. Many producers develop their own methods that combine elements of several categories. Therefore, for our classification, not only the ingredient list but, above all, the manufacturing step that characterizes the finished beverage is decisive.
The Differences in Direct Comparison
