Low and No Alcohol Wine

As the name suggests, non-alcoholic wine mimics the taste and aroma of traditional red, white and rosé wines, but the alcohol is removed after the fermentation process. Depending on the amount of alcohol that’s removed, non-alcoholic wine can be described as:

• Low alcohol – no more than 1.2% ABV (alcohol by volume)
• De-alcoholised – no more than 0.5% ABV
• Alcohol-free – no more than 0.05%

Although each option still contains some alcohol, the amount is tiny. The volume is so low – particularly in relation to a standard wine, which usually falls between 11–13% ABV – that drinkers will not feel any effect. Non-alcoholic wine can provide a similar taste experience to their alcoholic alternatives, with particularly popular options in the sparkling wine category.

Non-alcoholic wine is made in the same way as its alcoholic counterpart but for one extra step – removing the alcohol.

It’s impossible to make wine without introducing alcohol because it’s the result of fermentation. When yeast is added to the grape juice, it ferments. This turns the natural sugars in the grape juice into alcohol – producing a wine’s quality, flavour and texture. To create a non-alcoholic drink, winemakers must remove the alcohol after fermentation. There are three ways they can do that:

• Spinning cone technology – a centrifugal force separates the wine into its component parts, allowing the winemaker to remove the alcohol.
• Boiling off – the wine is heated, with the resulting vapour being condensed and filtered to separate the alcohol from the liquid.
• Reverse osmosis – a filtration process that uses pressure to push wine through a semipermeable membrane, separating and filtering out alcohol.

With each of these processes, small amounts of alcohol might remain, but it’s not enough to have an effect on the person drinking.

Non-alcoholic wine is generally considered healthier than regular wine because it eliminates the potential adverse effects of alcohol consumption.

However, health is a complicated and nuanced topic, so we would suggest seeking out up-to-date research before making your judgements.

Like all wines, you will experience a range of tastes and styles from non-alcoholic wine depending on the grapes and the winemaking process used.

Non-alcoholic wines do differ in taste compared to the same type of alcoholic wines because of the process required to remove the alcohol. Some methods, such as boiling off, can affect flavours and aromas more than others.

In general, alcohol-free wines taste sweeter than their counterparts because of the lack of alcohol.