Alcohol-free wines are still relatively uncommon but are increasingly developing to meet growing demand in this market. They indeed offer many health benefits and are a good alternative to traditional wines for people who cannot or do not wish to consume alcohol.
What is alcohol-free wine?
Legally speaking, the term alcohol-free wine can be used for any wine with an alcohol content below 7%. In reality, most alcohol-free wines contain only between 0 and 0.3% alcohol. The technique of dealcoholizing wine, that is, the process of removing alcohol, was patented in 1908 by Carl Jung, a German winemaker. The technique has since continued to evolve.
Initially, this type of wine was aimed at pregnant women, athletes, and diabetics. Today, it is becoming more widespread and appeals to many people who simply do not want to consume alcohol.
There are alcohol-free wines of all colors: white, red, rosé, sparkling... Simply put, dealcoholization is prohibited for wines with Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) and Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP). It is only allowed for country wines and table wines, with a limit of a 2% reduction in their original alcohol content.
What is the production process?
Alcohol-free wine is not made from different ingredients: it is indeed "classic" wine from which the alcohol is then removed. This can be done in various ways: dealcoholization can be partial or total, biological or physico-chemical... In all cases, it will impact the wine, causing acidity to dominate over sugar (because the more alcohol there is, the higher the sugar content, as alcohol comes from the transformation of sugars by yeast during fermentation).
To reduce the alcohol content in their wines, the winemaker can intervene at different stages of the winemaking process:
⦁ During vineyard work: by adjusting the harvest date (early harvest), using grape varieties producing low alcohol levels, increasing yields (which results in grapes less concentrated in sugar)...
⦁ During vinification: by using yeast strains with low alcohol yield, by de-sugaring the juices...
⦁ Once the product is finished: by using low-temperature distillation techniques, nanofiltration...
The benefits of alcohol-free wine
As we have seen above, it is a product suitable for all people who cannot consume alcohol (patients, athletes, pregnant women, former alcoholics...). But it is also an excellent health ally. Indeed, it contains three times fewer calories than classic wine (on average 25 kcal/dcl compared to 75 kcal/dcl for classic wine). Although it is similar, it is also much less sweet than grape juice: about 5 grams of sugar per bottle, compared to 15g for organic grape juice.
Also, it has been shown that alcohol-free wine reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases: it lowers blood pressure and its consumers have a 20% lower chance of having cardiac arrests than those consuming classic wine. Regarding other diseases, it may prevent cancers, inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and has anti-aging effects. It also contains fewer sulfites than traditional wine. Sulfites are often the cause of a number of intolerances: headaches, breathing difficulties, rhinitis, digestive disorders, skin problems, and fatigue...
Finally, and this is no small advantage! No alcohol means being able to drive home without any problem. Ideal for celebrating farewell parties after work, but also in a family or friendly setting, as it will avoid many worries when everyone has to get back behind the wheel.
How to taste alcohol-free wine?
One thing is certain, it should not be tasted as you would a classic wine. The dealcoholization technique will modify the balance on the palate of the wine (between alcohol, acidity, and sugar). Acidity tends to take over the rest, so it will be necessary to compensate with the right amount of sugar. Regarding the taste, it will be closer to a well-structured grape juice than a traditional wine, although more complex than a simple juice.
The main goal during their production is therefore to preserve this balance as well as the wine’s aromas. Indeed, alcohol structures the wine and enhances the perception of aromas: in its absence, care must be taken to reproduce this as much as possible.
What is the future of alcohol-free wine?
We can almost certainly predict that alcohol-free wine has a bright future ahead. Indeed, new consumption habits, especially "eating better," support this trend. Fewer calories, healthier (according to studies)... these qualities are driving growing demand and thus diversification of the range of alcohol-free wines.
Moreover, wine is no longer the only beverage to be dealcoholized or reinvented. Today, there are alcohol-free beers, alcohol-free cocktails, and even alcohol-free gin (like JNPR). Even though wine and alcohol in general are deeply rooted (and will remain so) in our country’s culture, it is always crucial to innovate with these types of products to reach an even wider audience.
In 2019, the alcohol-free wine market exploded: +12.3% growth for still wines and +3.7% for sparkling wines.
At Domaine du Goût, since we believe it is important to have an answer for every demand, we have created the first online tastings of alcohol-free wines!
