I attended a seminar on "making trouble free wines" today, here's my report on Low Alcohol Wines

Both students and industry professionals listened intently as Guy Smith presented enthusiastically about his latest focus, low and no alcohol wines (or should we say, “grape-based drinks”?). Guy has a wealth of experience in new beverage developments, and although he owns a small English vineyard he confessed to having limited wine-making credentials.

 

Low alcohol wines already hold a significant place in the UK market-place, they currently represent around 1% of all UK wine sales, which equates to approximately £38M per year (or 7M bottles). Why is that? Besides the obvious lowering of post-boozing fuzzy heads, low/no alcohol wines are clearly healthier for you and can be sold to those keen to join in at social events without the concern of calorie intake. Lowering alcohol can also produce a wine that is more acceptable to quaff when a 14.5% sleep-inducing Grenache doesn’t seem too appealing.

 

Not sold? What if you learned that wines with alcohol content lower than 5.5% attract half the duty than their full strength cousins? Supermarkets have recently caught up with this tasty loophole, you can find low alcohol wines in all the big stores if you know where to look, and it will save you pounds per bottle. These products will not only lower your calorie intake and dreaded red wine hangover, but will significantly reduce your alcohol outgoings.

 

A variety of methods are employed to achieve a lower alcohol wine. The most obvious one is to stop a fermentation half-way through. This leaves behind any sugar that the yeast hasn’t consumed, resulting in a lower alcohol. Other techniques include reverse osmosis, which filters out the water and alcohol and modifies the flavour profile. Vacuum distillation (also known as ‘spinning cone’) is another option; this manages to keep the flavour of the wine, but requires a large bank balance (machines cost around £1,000,000) and a certain level of expertise. Lastly, a cocktail-style approach can be used, which involves many techniques from past and present. Using ripe grapes, a half strength wine is made, then natural acids are then added along with grape juice. The result is a higher sugar wine (improving aroma) and low production costs.

 

So, what were the results? I managed to slurp a wine or two provided by Guy. The first thing I noted was the effort taken to make the bottles look like a full-strength style, you’d be forgiven if you arrived home with a bottle or two after mistakenly buying them. The first I tried was a Sauvignon blanc, and, if I am honest, it was just the same, only a touch sweeter than a Marlborough. I later looked at the label (9% ABV), so pretty much a full-power one anyway (which would explain a similar sweetness to a “full strength” Kabinett I tried last week). The zero percent wine, I have to say, was a touch disappointing. It was a fresh tasting, vibrant, fruity drink, but lacked the complexity I have become so used to in full-strength wines. Alcohol provides much-needed complexity to a wine, if you can ignore the calorie, health, religious, legal and taxation issues!