Alcohol-free wine. How it is made, and is it any good?

How alcohol is removed

Most alcohol-free wine starts as normal wine. The alcohol is then removed with one of a few techniques: vacuum distillation, which boils off alcohol at a low temperature; the spinning cone column, which separates aromas and alcohol in stages; or membrane filtration such as reverse osmosis.

Good producers capture the aromas first and add them back after the alcohol is removed.

Why it is so hard

Alcohol is not just a number on the label. It carries aroma, gives body and warmth, and balances acidity and tannin. Without it, wine can feel thin and sharp.

Producers compensate with careful blending, a touch of sugar, grape must or other techniques, which is why quality varies so much.

Labels: alcohol-free, low or non-alcoholic

Rules differ by country. In the European Union, “alcohol-free” or dealcoholized wine may contain no more than 0.5% alcohol, and “partially dealcoholized” wine sits between that and normal wine. In the United States, “non-alcoholic” also means less than 0.5%.

A real future?

Some forecasts see alcohol-free wine becoming a significant part of the market; skeptics say the taste is just not there yet. In The Science of Wine, Dr. Jamie Goode investigates this hot debate and gives his verdict.

Go furtherTo explore the estates, vineyards and wines of the Rheingau and Germany further, the wein.plus wine guide is a great resource.