January 16, 2026

From Journalism to Wine Innovation: Amanda Thomson's Journey to Creating Noughty Alcohol-Free Wines

The Career Pivot That Changed the Wine Industry

In an inspiring conversation with The Wine Concierge, Amanda Thomson, founder of Noughty alcohol-free wines, shared her remarkable journey from successful journalist to pioneering entrepreneur in the non-alcoholic wine space. Her story is one of courage, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to quality that's reshaping how wine lovers think about alcohol-free options.

Leaving Success Behind for Something Greater

Amanda's transition wasn't born from dissatisfaction, but from evolution. After a thriving career in journalism, she reached a pivotal moment at a dinner party when someone asked, "Who do you really want to interview?" Her struggle to answer revealed a deeper truth—it was time for something bigger and different.

"I've always been quite singular," Amanda explained. "It's not that I'm not a team player, but I like to control things. I like to be leading. So I felt like that would be a natural transition: do my own thing and be the mistress of my own destiny."

With her heart set on building a Champagne brand, Amanda made the bold decision to put her Le Cordon Bleu wine diploma on her credit card. While she doesn't recommend this approach ("Don't do that at home," she laughs), it demonstrates the level of commitment she brought to mastering her new profession.

Watch the complete discussion with Amanda Thomson

Breaking Barriers in a Traditional Industry

As a Black woman entering the predominantly white, male-dominated wine industry, Amanda faced unique challenges. But she chose to flip the narrative. "I've always had a bit of activism in me—to agitate a bit, stand up, be noticed," she shared. "I've got confidence. I've had a successful career. Yes, I don't look like the typical person—but that's also a good thing because people are going to notice me."

During her training at Le Cordon Bleu, Amanda was struck by an important observation: the finest Burgundies, the best Champagnes, and her favorite artisanal winemakers were often making biodynamic, organic wine. Yet this wasn't marketed as a unique selling point in the fine wine world. Meanwhile, everyday cheap wine often lacked these pure production methods, and consumers had no obvious way to know the difference.

The Clean Wine Philosophy

This realization became foundational to Amanda's approach. She saw an opportunity to respect history and tradition, recognize great winemakers as artists, yet innovate with branding that's democratic and cuts through confusing noise. Her focus on clean, natural winemaking principles would later inform every aspect of Noughty's production.

The Bold Move into Alcohol-Free Wine

In 2019, Amanda made a decision that many thought was crazy: she launched Noughty, positioning it as the first premium non-alcoholic wine specifically for wine lovers. At the time, the market was dominated by legacy brands—sparkling apple juices and supermarket brands under $10 that didn't speak to sophisticated wine drinkers.

"I was very early to market," Amanda recalled. "People thought I was crazy. But the more people told me that, the more I realized I was onto something. The more you think I'm irrelevant, the more white space I've got to innovate."

The Quality Difference: Understanding De-Alcoholization

What sets Noughty apart is Amanda's obsessive focus on quality and her deep understanding of the de-alcoholization process. There are essentially two methods: vacuum distillation and spinning cone. Both remove alcohol and separate it from the liquid, but the challenge is retaining the vinous, wine-like qualities.

"Everything that happens prior matters," Amanda explained. She gave the example of Pinot Noir—a delicate grape that's difficult to make well and even harder to de-alcoholize without becoming thin. Conversely, Noughty Rouge and the elevated Noughty Monte use Syrah/Shiraz from South Africa—high-alcohol, muscular, spicy grapes with huge personality from dry-farmed vines working hard in intense heat to produce flavor.

"When we de-alcoholize it, it won't have alcohol structure, but it still has some structure, tannin, spice, and that unmistakable Syrah nose," she noted.

Amanda's philosophy has never been about replicating wine exactly. "I was trying to create something reminiscent that sits alongside, so you can transition from alcoholic wine to Noughty and it's not jarring." Blind tastings have validated this approach—one conducted in Paris led tasters to believe her Sparkling Chardonnay was a grower's Champagne.

The Noughty Range: Premium Quality Without Alcohol

Today, Noughty offers a sophisticated range of alcohol-free wines, all available at The Wine Concierge:

Noughty Sparkling Chardonnay - Elegant and refined, perfect for celebrations
Noughty Sparkling Rosé - The crowd-pleaser that sings with food, especially with a bit of spice
Noughty Blanc - Predominantly Chenin with Chardonnay, Amanda's midweek go-to
Noughty Rouge - Rich Syrah/Shiraz with structure and personality

Each wine is organic where possible, low in sugar, and crafted with the same attention to detail Amanda learned during her fine wine training in France.

Industry Recognition and Mainstream Acceptance

In 2025, Amanda won a prestigious award from The Drinks Business for her business model—a significant milestone representing acceptance in the mainstream drinks world. "I love sober and non-alcoholic drinkers—Noughty is at the heart of that—but to become a household name, the bigger opportunity is getting wine drinkers to build Noughty into their lives," she explained.

This vision is becoming reality. Noughty recently secured a major U.S. national deal with The Fresh Market, which took the entire range as the benchmark in the premium quality space. "That blew my mind," Amanda shared. "It's kind of unheard of to launch with five."

The brand is also appearing on wine lists at prestigious venues like Dirty French on the Lower East Side, the Chelsea Hotel, and the Crane Club in New York—not relegated to a separate "spirit-free" menu, but integrated into the wine list itself. This represents the blended drinking future Amanda envisions.

How to Incorporate Noughty into Your Life

Amanda shared several ways wine lovers are building Noughty into their routines:

The Champagne Transition: Start with a glass of premium Champagne like Krug, then move to Noughty Sparkling Chardonnay for the rest of the evening.

Midweek Reset: Take a few nights off wine during the week and reach for Noughty instead, maintaining the ritual without the alcohol.

The Monday Mimosa: One customer starts every Monday with a Noughty mimosa, giving her "a pep in her step" and reframing Monday mornings positively.

The Long Night Ahead: When you want wine when you come home from work but have a long night ahead or an early morning, Noughty lets you enjoy the taste of wine without compromise.

"Because there's no alcohol, low sugar, organic—you can drink it like it's going out of fashion," Amanda noted. "What I love most is we're making health choices without noticing. It's so easy to fold into your daily routine."

What's Next for Noughty in 2026

Amanda is doubling down on the U.S. opportunity. While Noughty is available in most states through direct-to-consumer channels (the website and Amazon), she's building distribution hubs and expanding national retail presence through Sprouts, Total Wine, The Fresh Market, and independent retailers.

Equally important is the on-premise channel—bars and restaurants where consumers can see the brand and enjoy it with friends. "We can come in through healthy retail too," Amanda added, highlighting Noughty's crossover appeal.

Having gone all-in on Noughty (no more Champagne, no more alcohol), Amanda is 100% committed to the vision. "The hard work continues. The goalposts move," she acknowledged with characteristic determination.

Lessons from an Entrepreneur

When asked about New Year's resolutions, Amanda shared her philosophy of trying to be "1% better." Her current focus? Protecting her energy. "I'm very high energy and I do huge travel. So I'm trying to build in better moments of brief respite before the next wave."

She also reflected on the reality of entrepreneurship: "Whenever anyone complains about being a founder, I feel blessed to have the choice. I've chosen this. I love what I'm doing. Do I work harder than most people recommend? Yes. Do I choose that? Yes. That's my own destiny in that regard."

Amanda's Wine Loves

Despite creating alcohol-free wines, Amanda's heart still holds a special place for Champagne. Her favorites include Jacques Selosse (tiny production, genius winemaker), Krug Clos du Mesnil (single-vineyard Krug), and Coche-Dury Meursault. She also has a soft spot for top-notch Sonoma Chardonnay when in the U.S.

And of course, Noughty—though she admits that's "cheating."

Experience Noughty at The Wine Concierge

Ready to explore the world of premium alcohol-free wine? The Wine Concierge is proud to carry the complete Noughty range, delivering directly to your home. Whether you're looking to moderate your alcohol intake, seeking options for pregnancy or health reasons, or simply curious about high-quality non-alcoholic wines, Noughty offers an elegant solution without compromise.

Shop our Noughty collection today and discover why wine lovers across the country are making room for these exceptional alcohol-free wines in their lives.

Watch the full interview with Amanda Thomson on our YouTube channel: Amanda Thomson Interview