The good taste of alcohol-free wine

For 10 years, beer and spirits producers have been working hard to develop quality alcohol-free products, but few winegrowers have followed the trend. That’s about to change thanks to the work of several major areas.

Star chef in Norway, Odd Ivar Solvod told wine producer Josef Leitz that he was trying unsuccessfully to create a pairing with an alcohol-free wine. Mission impossible: the products were too sweet or simply bad.

Back in Germany, the renowned winemaker set himself the task of creating a balanced alcohol-free wine. Easier said than done. Six years after the first trials, his right-hand man, winemaker Jan Schmidt, believes he has succeeded. “With or without alcohol, it all starts in the vineyard,” explains the expert. If you buy an uninteresting industrial wine in bulk and dealcoholize it, the result cannot be good. »

Frédéric Chouquet-Stringer specializes in the production and marketing of alcohol-free wines. Established in Germany, he too has noticed that the quality has been on the rise for several years, mainly thanks to the work in the vineyard.

Thus, even before harvesting the grapes in his Rheingau region, Jan Schmidt selects a plot of young vines and increases the yields. This reduces the amount of sugar in the must and thus produces a wine containing less alcohol. The expert then proceeds to dealcoholization.

To do this, there are several techniques. Jan Schmidt favors vacuum distillation. “The alcohol is heated so that it evaporates,” explains the winemaker. As aromas are more volatile than alcohol, the boiling point must be lowered and the lost aromas recovered. They are reintroduced into the liquid, as is done in spirits. »

In order to minimize the loss of aromas, producers rely on aromatic grape varieties such as Riesling, Muscat or Sauvignon Blanc.

A complex process

On the other side of the border, in Alsace, the Cave de Ribeauvillé has been selling alcohol-free wine for a year. The director of the cellar, David Jaegle, notes that the real difference between wine with alcohol and that without alcohol is not felt, it is tasted.

“Alcohol gives structure to the wine on the palate,” he says. When it is no longer there, the aromatic persistence is lost. We perceive aromas and flavors differently. You have to relearn how to taste. »

David Jaegle also notes that dealcoholization amplifies other flavors. Wine without alcohol always seems more acidic and sometimes more bitter. To create balance, winemakers add sugar the same way sparkling wines are dosed. Since 1^er January 2023, the use of cane sugar is prohibited. Good news, according to Jan Schmidt. “It doesn’t make sense to add cane sugar to a grape product. You can add juice, but the ideal and the most expensive is to add must. »

According to the Master of Wine and editor-in-chief of the English magazine The Drink Business, Patrick Schmitt, there is another way to improve the taste of non-alcoholic wines: adding gas.

The specialist organized a tasting of more than a hundred non-alcoholic products in London last year. He found that the dealcoholized sparkling wines taste better than the others.

The addition of gas partly explains the success of non-alcoholic beers and also of bitter liqueurs or new non-alcoholic spirits like Seedlip which are served with sparkling water or tonic.

New consumers, new non-alcoholic wines

In the south of France, Pierre Chavin’s alcohol-free range is marketed in 60 countries. This category represents 50% of the trading house’s turnover. Its bottles can even be found on the menu of starred restaurants such as the Ritz in Paris.

The secret of its success: to target the consumer well, believes the director of the house, Mathilde Boulachin.

“Pregnancy is no longer the only reason for not taking alcohol,” she observes. Taking medication, religion and even the intense practice of sport encourage people to take less alcohol. We have to respond to this clientele who loves wine, but who consumes less of it. »

Mathilde Boulachin does not hide it. Even without alcohol, the bottles must be “instagrammable”. But above all, the content must be good. Very good.

According to Patrick Schmitt, the arrival of large estates like Jackson in the United States, Santa Rita in Portugal and even the singer Kylie Minogue in the production of non-alcoholic wine is driving the quality up.

This is good news, because this category is growing in Quebec, with a 4% increase over the past year. Record sales were set in December with an increase of 43% compared to the same period last year.

Two non-alcoholic suggestions

Delicate and complex

Riesling is a very fragrant grape variety, but also very tangy. These two characteristics remain even if the wine does not contain alcohol. This is demonstrated by the German white from the Leitz estate. Its discreet bouquet reveals aromas of honeysuckle, white pepper and lemon. On the palate, the biting attack is followed by bitter nuances that bring a lot of complexity. It will go brilliantly with spicy dishes and will be ideal for creating an alcohol-free version of a white sangria.

Leitz Eins-Zwei-Zero Riesling, $12.45 (13477043)

Effervescent and fragrant

Less expensive, less sweet and above all, alcohol-free, this dealcoholized sparkling wine from the Spanish house Torres evokes the smell and taste of Moscato d’Asti. Like the sparkling wines of this Italian region, it is produced with Muscat, a very aromatic grape variety. We also recognize its typical scents of rose and orange blossom. On the palate, the attack is crunchy, fragrant and the sweetness, the sugar, is well balanced. Miguel Torres has been working for more than a decade in the development of alcohol-free wines. During his visit to Quebec in 2015, he said that cancer treatments had temporarily prevented him from consuming alcohol. This obstacle was the starting point of a long quest to make good alcohol-free wines. Today, his entire range of dealcoholized products proves that he succeeded.

Torres Natureo 0.0, $10.65 (14724561)