Health concerns, boosting repression under the influence of alcohol, the change in habits of younger generations … For all this, alcohol consumption per capita decreased by 20% in Europe between 2000 and 2019, according to WHO.
Given the decrease in demand, some winemakers are committed to alcohol wine and choose innovation to diversify sales.
In Belgium, near Charleroi, Associated drinks solutions It has produced a non -alcoolized wine since 2018, using vacuum distillation, a process that is said to preserve the flavors and aromas than other methods.
This technique involves heating the vacuum wine to reduce the boiling temperature of alcohol to 35 ° C instead of approximately 90 ° C.
Dealcolization, however, alters the taste of wine. Subsequently, other ingredients and aromas are added: “The flavor and quality of the alcohol without alcohol are clearly improving. We have seen many actors in the aromas or suppliers of gighed products that were interested in wines that are not alcohol, which have developed products specifically for non -alcohol wines, which help us to make more interesting products.”, Benoît Poisson, Director of Production of Associated Beverages, Euronews.
The company produces white and bright wines without more alcohol than red and pink: “It is more difficult to make a red -without alcohol wine, because the sensation is more rounded and the balance is more difficult to achieve after eliminating alcohol,” explains Benoît Poisson.
Customers adhere. The company’s non -alcoolized wine production went from 1.2 million liters in 2019 to 5.3 million liters in 2024.
Wine suppliers are mainly from France, Spain and Italy. Most of the non -alcoolized wine production is sold in Scandinavian countries, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom, “historically more open to the news” in terms of wines, according to Francis Aguilar, general director of the solutions of Beverag Associated.
“0.0%” or “low alcohol content”?
On March 28, the European Commission presented a Action plan to reinforce the competitiveness and resilience of the wine sector Given the evolution of consumer habits, climate change and market uncertainties.
In particular, it proposes to support the marketing of wines with 0% or low alcohol content, clarifying the rules and harmonizing the definitions throughout the single market.
Currently, the “alcohol”, the expressions of “0.0%” and “under alcohol” are currently regulated differently in the EU and do not have the same alcohol content from one member state to another.
Therefore, the commission is favorable to the use of the term “without alcohol” to designate a wine with an acquired alcohol (TAV) title that does not exceed 0.5% in volume. The term “0.0%” would be added if it does not exceed 0.05% in volume. Finally, the term “low alcohol content” would designate a wine with a title of alcoholic of more than 0.5% in volume and lower in 30% to the minimum title of alcohol set for the category before the desalcolization.
“We have opted for a process that produces 0.0%. Whenever we can always present this, it distinguishes us here. But it is important to keep things clear for consumers, so that they know what they are buying with full knowledge of the cause,” says Benoît Poisson.
The Committee also intends to label wines with low wines of alcohol or alcohol, provide consumers better information about ingredients and liberation methods.
Wine package
“From our point of view, the alcohol -free wine market helps the wine industry, since alcohol wine must occur first. Therefore, it helps vineyards, winemakers, wineries and the entire industry. We are just another step at the end of jail,” Benoît Poisson told Euronews.
ADVERTISINGIn the past, some winemakers did not welcome the variants without alcohol, but many have changed their minds: “In a way, wine is like the victim’s baby. Seeing it through a process of desalcolization is a bit difficult. But this is only at the beginning,” says Francis Aguilar, before adding that the desalcolized wine is “better accepted.”
In addition to promoting alcohol -free wine, the European Commission recommends that they leave the unwanted vineyards and the elimination of still green grapes before harvest to avoid surpluses. It also intends to make replantation authorizations more flexible.
Commercial War
For now, the European wine sector is holding breathing, with the eyes set in the United States. Donald Trump threatened European wine in 200% If the European Commission retaliates with tariffs on the bourbon. After the pressure of Italy and France, the EU is expected to save the American whiskey.
