Exploring Non-Alcoholic Wine: Production, Taste, and Benefits
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Table of Contents
What is Non-Alcoholic Wine?
Non-alcoholic wine, otherwise known as dealcoholized wine, is a fully-fermented wine that has been filtered or heated to gently remove the alcohol, leaving behind the taste, acidity and aroma of the grape varietals.
Introduction to Non-Alcoholic Wine
Non-alcoholic wine, otherwise known as dealcoholized wine, has been around for decades but for the most part, tasted like sour grape juice with a chemical aroma. It’s only recently come into mass market popularity as advances in innovation and technology have allowed for winemakers to create great tasting wines without the alcohol.
Although often misunderstood, non-alcoholic wine is actually a regular wine that has been through a process to remove the alcohol content to below 0.5% ABV (alcohol by volume). That is the legal definition of ‘non-alcoholic’ in most regions around the world.
Good quality non-alcoholic wine starts out as traditional wine, and now often has the terroir, appellation and heritage of an existing winery or vineyard to back it up.
Although industrial processes are used to remove the alcohol, a winemaker is most often involved to work with the liquid and make sure the taste, acidity, aroma, and mouthfeel are all maintained to a quality standard. What was once the domain of cheap quality grapes and a passing quality assurance is slowly becoming a world of 95-point non-alcoholic wines, and superstar brand.
The Process of Making Non-Alcoholic Wine
Non-alcoholic wine starts out as grapes on the vine, just like regular wine. The grapes are harvested, pressed, and then fermented in stainless-steel tanks or oak barrels to make the full ABV wine you’re familiar with.
Rather than bottling the finished wine once it’s fully fermented, the liquid undergoes one of three industrial processes (expanded on below) to remove the alcohol but keep the aroma, flavour, acidity and mouthfeel.
If the wine is intended to be a sparkling wine, the liquid is carbonated after the alcohol is removed. This can be achieved by injecting carbon dioxide or if it’s a premium brand, the winemaker will use the traditional method of secondary fermentation in a closed tank.
Techniques for removing alcohol
Reverse osmosis
Vacuum distillation
Spinning cone
1.Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a method to reduce alcohol in wine by passing it through a semi-permeable membrane under high pressure. The membrane selectively allows alcohol to pass through while retaining other wine components. The separated alcohol is collected, effectively lowering the wine's alcohol content. This technique provides precise control over alcohol levels and minimizes flavor and aroma alterations because it doesn't involve significant heat.
2.Vacuum distillation
In vacuum distillation, wine is placed in a vacuum chamber, and the pressure is reduced below atmospheric levels. This lower pressure lowers the boiling point of alcohol, allowing it to vaporize at a lower temperature.
As the wine is gently heated, the alcohol evaporates, and the vapor is collected and condensed back into liquid form. The non-volatile components, like water and the wine's flavor compounds, are less affected by the reduced temperature, preserving the wine's character.
3.Spinning cone
This is the latest innovation in the world of beverage creation. With a spinning cone, the wine goes through a series of spinning metal rods inside a cone tank. The rods vary in size and speed, to separate and filter out three things: the alcohol, the aroma distillate, and the grape juice. The alcohol is then dumped (or more realistically sold to use in someone’s can of White Claw). The juice and the aroma distillate are then combined back together, with a winemaker adding a small amount of unfermented juice back in to balance out the flavours and aromas.
Tasting It: What Does Non-Alcoholic Wine Taste Like & What To Expect
When you’re tasting non-alcoholic wine, you have to approach it with a different mindset. Enjoying non-alcoholic wine requires an appreciation of the subtle flavours and aromas that create an experience for you, rather than focusing on the missing elements.
While many old style non-alcoholic wines didn’t have a great flavour profile (or reputation), newer modern styles of non-alcoholic wine are decadent and sumptuous and clearly made by winemaking professionals.
Non-alcoholic wines don’t have the subtle heat that comes from alcohol hitting your tongue and back of the throat. What they do have is all the other things. For instance, you can find great non-alcoholic wines with the tannins you have in regular wine. Our favourites are Noughty Rouge or Lautus Savvy Red, both of which are harvested and produced in South Africa.
There are also great wines with acidity and complexity, like the Brochet Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire region in France.
One thing to note is that switching back and forth from regular wine to non-alcoholic wine in the same evening might not be a pleasant experience and the non-alcoholic wine will definitely taste subpar next to the full-bodied napa you’re imbibing on. To truly enjoy a non-alcoholic wine, it’s best to pick that lane and stay in it for the evening so your taste buds get the full experience without the alcohol numbing your palette.
So although they aren’t perfect dupes, non-alcoholic wines can be as elegant and elevated as a regular wine, it just depends on what your expectations are when you’re drinking them!
Is Non-Alcoholic Wine Really Alcohol-Free?
It is almost impossible to create a great tasting non-alcoholic wine that is completely 0.0% ABV, which is what it needs to be to be considered alcohol-free.
Non-alcoholic wine still contains very small amounts of alcohol, similar to what you might find in kombucha. However, this trace ABV is typically considered safe for people who don't drink alcohol unless you’ve been directed by a physician to completely abstain for medical reasons.
The trace amounts of alcohol are considered safe because your body processes it (breaks it down) before it can go into your bloodstream and cause inebriation.
Why Choose Non-Alcoholic Wine?
The most obvious reason to choose non-alcoholic wine is to avoid the brutal side effects of alcohol, including a hangover. Drinking a glass of dealcoholized wine during a social event allows you to stay present and enjoy the moment, without dulling your senses or impacting your behaviour. Reducing the amount of regular wine you drink can have great health benefits, even if it's only once in a while.
What kind of non-alcoholic wines are there?
There are hundreds of styles of wine around the world, and this is starting to be replicated in the non-alcoholic wine world. Currently there are about two dozen different wine styles and blends on the market, ranging from sweeter reds to dry bubblies. As innovation continues to increase opportunities, more styles and products will be available. The most innovative non-alcoholic wine of 2023 is the Edenvale Sparkling Shiraz, which has a similar taste and texture to a lambrusco (a sweet Italian sparkling red) even though it’s made with a peppery Shiraz.
How much sugar is in non-alcoholic wine?
Most non-alcoholic wines have lower calories than regular wine, but a higher sugar level. Lower quality non-alcoholic wines can sometimes have a lot of sugar added for flavour (but not always). Premium non-alcoholic wines often have a lower sugar content. Look out for the sugar content on the wine bottle label. If a retailer website doesn’t have a photo of the back label, you can email them and ask. They will be happy to help you!
Some of Our Favourite Non-Alcoholic Wines
Our favorite non-alcoholic red wines
Lautus Savvy Red (South Africa)
Our favorite non-alcoholic white wines
Brochet Zero Sauvignon Blanc (France)
Tarapaca Sauvignon Blanc (Chile)
Final Thoughts
A recent poll found that 22% of consumers are interested in drinking less, which means that the idea of non-alcoholic wine is not as ‘out of this world’ as it once was. More and more people are looking for an option that is healthier but still has the taste and the experience they like from wine.
If you’re looking for some reviews and in-depth analysis of non-alcoholic wine, click the button below and visit our non-alcoholic wine reviews page.
