How non-alcoholic (and dealcoholized wines) are made

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According to European laws, and depending on the appellation, the strength of the wine must be higher than 8.5-9%. Otherwise, the label must indicate “wine-based drink”.
Producers of such drinks strive to completely remove alcohol from them, which is technically impossible. Usually, dealcoholized wines (a more correct term) contain 0.3-0.5% alcohol.
2022 update: However, according to recently changed regulations, wines in which the alcohol level cannot be detected even by laboratory tests, i.e. less than 0.1%, can be called non-alcoholic. Moreover, if it is below 1.2%, then this figure can be omitted, as well as the crossed-out pictogram with a drinking pregnant woman.
The very first technology for producing non-alcoholic wine was invented by Carl Jung in Germany in 1908. His idea was based on the principle of distillation, which essentially separates its composition into several components:

  • water (approximately 83%),
  • alcohol (approximately 15%, depending on the strength)
  • aromatic substances, acids, minerals (approximately 2%).

But if in the production of strong alcoholic beverages the purpose of distillation is the concentration of aromas and alcohol, then in the production of non-alcoholic wine it serves to separate the alcohol, while preserving its organoleptic profile. Distillation, invented by K. Jung, took place under a vacuum, so ethanol boils and evaporates at a lower temperature, avoiding unpleasant shades of cooked berries in the resulting drink. This principle is still used today.

By definition, wine is the result of fermentation of grape juice, which makes a certain sense. In addition to the formation of ethanol molecules, fermentation also produces aromatic substances that are not present in grape juice. Therefore, even a non-alcoholic drink must go through a fermentation stage to be called “wine”.

There are several ways to influence the strength of the final product, based on different principles. They can be used:

  • before fermentation, by reducing the sugar content in the must using:
    • nanofiltration;
    • using less ripe, less sugary grapes;
    • diluting the must.
  • during fermentation – reducing the volume of alcohol produced:
    • using special yeast strains;
    • regulating yeast metabolism;
    • artificially stopping fermentation.
  • after fermentation – separating alcohol from the finished product:
    • reverse osmosis;
    • nanofiltration of ethanol molecules;
    • vacuum distillation, in which the alcohol evaporates not at 78°C, but at 27°C;
    • removal of ethanol molecules under vacuum in a specially designed column with rotating cones.

But alcohol is an important component of wine, which interacts with its other components and determines its organoleptic profile. For example, it affects its texture and the intensity of its bouquet. Therefore, removing almost 15% of the components from such a combination affects the taste sensations. Ethanol has a slightly oily texture and barely noticeable sweetness, which compensates for the natural acidity of the drink, contributing to a harmonious combination of the components of its profile. Therefore, compared to “alcoholic” dry wines, their dry, ethanol-free analogs may seem sourm qcidic. Producers compensate for this effect with a small amount of sugar.

Another feature of the production of this drink is that not any grape variety will do here. Dealcoholization inevitably loses some of the aroma and body of the wine, so producers choose varieties with bold rather than delicate aromas and a fairly rich body. For dealcoholized red wines, for example, a juicy, fruity Merlot or a rich Syrah would be better suited than a subtle Pinot Noir. In addition, ethanol is an enhancer, a base, or “support” for the flavor elements of the bouquet (like fats in food), so without alcohol, it risks becoming flat and inexpressive.

Non-alcoholic wine: is it harmful or not?

Can we talk about the benefits of this drink? It does have some advantages:

  • dealcoholized red wine is not devoid of antioxidants and polyphenols, the benefits of which for the body are widely known:
    • they slow down aging
    • lower blood pressure
    • prevent cardiovascular diseases.
  • Non-alcoholic wines are 2-3 times less caloric than regular alcoholic drinks: about 30 kcal versus 70-80 kcal, since there are 7 kcal per 1 gram of alcohol. So such a drink is quite capable of becoming a solution for those who monitor the amount of calories or for those who are forced to limit alcohol consumption for health reasons.
  • The absence of alcohol in the consumed drink allows you to drive later

In addition, the dealcoholization process does not involve chemical, but only physical action – heating or filtration, without adding any foreign substances, potentially hazardous substances. And with a decrease in strength, the harm of this drink also decreases.

Nevertheless, dealcoholized wines cannot be compared with traditional ones for several reasons:

  • They are consumed on different occasions, by different categories of buyers, so comparing what is better and what is worse is not entirely correct
  • The process of removing alcohol from wine does not pass without a trace for its taste. No matter how perfect the filter membranes are and no matter how perfect the vacuum distillation is – all this is additional processing, denaturalization of the finished product, depriving it of some of its properties. It is not for nothing that Grand Crus try to minimize manipulations with grapes and must.
  • Filter membranes, in addition to ethanol molecules, can retain molecules of aromatic substances, since they can be small (i.e. more volatile) or large (i.e. heavier) in size, as well as tannins.

Non-alcoholic wine can be a solution in certain situations, if you need to support the company and do not want to separate yourself from the holiday. But it is highly doubtful that it can compare with the result of a year of work by a winemaker, where each stage makes its indispensable contribution to the character and potential of the wine. Therefore, dealcoholized expensive Grand Crus will never appear on the market.

Dealcoholized wines cannot have a protected geographical name or indication, since dealcoholization is prohibited for them. In general, such manipulations are strictly regulated, and the alcohol removal must not exceed 2% for the drink to be called table wine without a protected designation. If more than 2% of alcohol is removed, then by law the label must already indicate “dealcoholized wine”, “dealcoholized wine-based drink” or “grape juice-based drink”.

Non-alcoholic wine brands

For this relatively new category, several examples of manufacturers can be given.

For example, the following French and German companies:

  • Le Petit Béret is a brand of organic non-alcoholic wines founded by the best sommelier of France in 2004, Dominique Laporte, with a wide range of dry and sweet, still and sparkling wines from Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay varieties grown in the southern regions of France.
  • Pierre Zéro is a brand of the merchant Pierre Chauvin, based in the south of France, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Various types of drinks from Merlot and Chardonnay are produced using modern dealcollization technology – in a column with rotating cones.

Pierre Zéro

  • Appalina is a brand of non-alcoholic wines produced in Germany by order of a large French merchant Grands Chais de France. The range includes red wine from Merlot, pink from Pinot Noir, white still and sparkling from Chardonnay. The grapes for production in Germany come, again, from the French Languedoc.
  • Nosecco is a sparkling white wine, similar in style to Prosecco.
  • Codorniu Zero is a non-alcoholic sparkling wine from a well-known Spanish cava producer.

Codorniu Zero

  • Rotkäppchen is a major German brand that has existed since the end of the 19th century and has been producing non-alcoholic sparkling wines since 2008.
  • French Bloom may be, the most pretentious, the most expensive, but also the most “vinous” non-alcoholic sparkling wine, created with the participation of two Champagne Houses: Taittinger et Frerejean Frères.
  • Food pairings and non-alcoholic wines

    Here you can focus on classic combinations:

    • Dry non-tart reds go with both red and white meat with a medium-bodied flavor:
      • beef fillet;
      • veal;
      • duck breast;
      • baked chicken or turkey.
    • Dry white still and sparkling wines go with “sea classics”:
      • salad with seafood (squid, shrimp, mussels);
      • fresh cheeses with a mild flavor (mozzarella, fresh goat cheese);
      • vegetable salad;
      • light snacks with ham and pâtés.
    • Semi-dry white still and sparkling:
      • with fruits (peaches, apricots, pineapple);
      • not very sweet fruit desserts;
      • fruit sorbet.
    • Sweet white still and sparkling:
      • with sweeter desserts;
      • blue cheeses;
      • aged cheeses.
    • Red sweet:
      • with chocolate;
      • with chocolate desserts;
      • meat with chocolate sauce.

    Tasting of non-alcoholic wine Appalina Alcohol Free. Merlot

    Non-alcoholic wine of the Appalina brand is made in Germany, by order of the large French merchant Les Grands Chais de France. In addition to red wine from the Merlot variety, its line includes white still and sparkling wine from Chardonnay and pink from Pinot Noir. For the first tasting, I chose red wine, and this is what came out of it.

    Appalina Alcool Free MerlotColor: pale ruby

    Aroma: medium intensity, at first even medium (+), but it seemed to me that the wine somehow quickly fizzled out. As for the bouquet, it is simple, and somewhere even candy or jam-like. Shades of chokeberry and black currant dominate, you can also distinguish red cherry and prune.

    Taste: The description describes the wine as “semi-sweet”, and that’s what it tastes like, but in an unbalanced form, to put it mildly. The acidity is high, and for balance it clearly lacks not sugar, but the texture that ethanol gives to wines. By the way, the sweetness added to the wine with the help of grape juice also manifests itself separately from all its other components. The body is light, alcohol is obviously absent, the aftertaste is short-lived and sour, and the tannins are low. The bouquet is reminiscent of juice from sour berries, such as cranberries or lingonberries.

    Quality rating: If we reason in the context of the goal of non-alcoholic wine – to offer a worthy (and indistinguishable) replacement for the original, then the quality of this drink is mediocre, if not bad. The wine lacks body and balance between sugar and acidity, and its bouquet is quite simple.

    Aging potential: none. Apart from acidity, the wine does not have the parameters necessary for long-term aging – concentration, body and tannins. In addition, there is no vintage on the label, and the bottle is closed with a screw cap, which excludes contact with air and development of the wine.

    Quality assessment according to the BLICE principle

    • Balance (Balance) – the wine is not harmonious, sweetness and acidity are poorly related to each other. The attack of the wine is sweetish, but the aftertaste is unnaturally sour.
    • Length (Duration of the aftertaste) – short (maximum average (-) ) and unpleasantly sour.
    • Intensity (Intensity) – average (+), both aromas and tastes.
    • Complexity (Complexity) – a simple bouquet of red berries.
    • Expression (Expressiveness/Typicity) – it is unlikely that in a blind tasting one would be able to recognize Merlot in this wine, and even more so – the appellation or even the country of origin.

    Even though non-alcoholic wine is intended for, as (indistinguishable, or at least similar) alternative to alcoholic drinks, it still doesn’t taste like real wine. And it’s unlikely that technology will soon be so advanced that it will be possible to remove only ethanol without affecting the wine’s profile.

    In my opinion, for now it’s better to give preference to non-alcoholic cocktails, which have a better chance of being something fit for consumption.

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