Elton John Launches Alcohol-Free Sparkling Wine “Elton John Zero” in UK Retail Debut

Legendary musician and LGBTQ+ trailblazer Sir Elton John has entered the drinks market with the launch of Elton John Zero Blanc de Blancs, a premium alcohol-free sparkling wine now available in Sainsbury’s stores across the United Kingdom at a recommended retail price of £10 for a 75cl bottle.

The 0% ABV drink is being positioned as a sophisticated alternative to Champagne, offering the aromas, bubbles and serving ritual of traditional sparkling wine without alcohol.

Branded simply as Elton John Zero, the launch has been developed in partnership with Benchmark Drinks, the celebrity drinks company behind other high-profile wine ranges.

The alcohol-free blanc de blancs is made primarily from Chardonnay grapes grown in northern Italy, with the liquid crafted in Germany, which has become a centre of production for high-quality 0% wines.

Unlike many alcohol-free wines that begin life as regular wine before going through a de‑alcoholisation process, Elton John Zero is produced as a non-alcoholic drink from the outset using a fermentation with selected “good” bacteria that do not generate alcohol.

To build complexity and structure, the recipe incorporates ingredients such as green tea extract to add fine tannin before the liquid is gently carbonated to create a persistent fizz.

Taste notes from an early professional review describe Elton John Zero as a pale, light sparkling drink with fruity and floral flavours including ripe pear, white-fleshed peach and a touch of pineapple, supported by notes of orange blossom and elderflower.

The same review characterises the wine as having a subtle sweetness, a bright, lime-zest finish and a clean, dry sensation from light tannins, positioning it firmly within the growing premium alcohol-free wine segment rather than as a sugary soft drink.

Lifestyle outlet Good Housekeeping, which also covered the launch, highlighted the bottle’s vivid blue design, featuring Elton John’s “E Star” logo and branding that nods to the artwork of his *Diamonds – Greatest Hits* collection.

The publication emphasised that the drink is marketed as a celebratory, low-calorie option, reporting that a glass contains around 19 calories, aligning it with broader interest in low- and no-alcohol choices during occasions such as Dry January.

In interviews about the project, Elton John’s husband and manager David Furnish, who is also teetotal, has said the idea emerged from their experience of hosting parties while no longer drinking alcohol.

Furnish explained that they struggled to find an alcohol-free sparkling drink that felt as special, complex and “celebratory” as the Champagne they had once enjoyed, and that Elton John Zero was created to fill that gap in their own lives and for guests.

He also described Elton John as committed to making the product accessible in price as well as quality, noting that despite its Champagne‑style positioning, the wine is priced more in line with crémant so that fans can afford to buy it.

The launch also sits within Elton John’s long-standing public commitment to sobriety after his widely documented struggles with substance use, having stopped drinking alcohol in 1990 and later speaking openly about recovery and addiction.

Furnish, who has discussed giving up alcohol himself in 2014, has said that becoming teetotal did not diminish the couple’s love of entertaining, making inclusive, alcohol-free options central to how they now host friends, collaborators and family.

From an LGBTQ+ perspective, the project intersects with ongoing conversations about wellbeing, chosen family and safer social spaces within queer communities, where alcohol has historically been entwined with nightlife but where many people are seeking alternatives that still feel festive and affirming.

Non-alcoholic options like Elton John Zero can help ensure that gatherings—from queer house parties to Pride season celebrations—are more accessible to people in recovery, those who do not drink for health, religious or personal reasons, and younger LGBTQ+ people exploring sober or “sober‑curious” lifestyles.

Elton John’s decision to place his name and image on a 0% drink also carries symbolic weight, given his status as one of the world’s most visible gay artists and as the co-founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has long emphasised holistic health and dignity for LGBTQ+ communities and people living with HIV.

By choosing a mass‑market retailer like Sainsbury’s rather than a luxury-only channel, the brand’s first roll-out situates alcohol-free celebration within everyday shopping and socialising, signaling that sober‑inclusive options can be as mainstream as they are glamorous.

The launch of Elton John Zero thus reflects both a commercial move into the fast-growing no- and low-alcohol category and a cultural statement about how people—especially LGBTQ+ people and allies—can continue to celebrate together while centring health, inclusion and choice.