Whether you are pursuing wellness goals, or simply seeking balance in your drinking regimen, premium alcohol-free wine provides the perfect solution.
We know what you’re thinking — wine without the booze? Trust us, we were skeptical too, although after some deep research, we found our answer in regions all over the world — and we were much more pleasantly surprised than we thought we would be. Non-alcoholic wine producing regions include Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, South Africa and the United States!
But be cautioned – not all alcohol-free wine is created equal, and we are not just saying that in regard to taste. In a large sea of alcohol-free wines, only a few are actually produced using a veritable dealcoholization process. Confused as to what that is? Don't worry as we are going to break down everything you need to know about alcohol-free wine.
What is alcohol-free wine
Alcohol-free wine is exactly what it sounds like — wine with little to no alcohol content. Great alcohol-free wine contains all the same flavours and structure, and provides the same level of taste, that an alcoholic bottle of wine would, just without the presence of ethanol. All our wines are either 0.5% or 0.0% alcohol by volume.
How is alcohol-free wine made?
It’s not as tricky as it sounds, although it’s important to know that many “alcohol-free” wines are simply just grape juice marketed as such. True alcohol-free wines endure the entire vinification process (fermentation, aging, etc.), then undergo a dealcoholization process, which removes the alcohol from the final product.
The biggest differences between these two products is that the former does not undergo any form of vinification or see any yeast, and is therefore simply unfermented grape juice — think Welch’s — whereas the latter has been fermented, aged, and fully vinified, and then has its alcohol content removed prior to bottling. We only seek out true wines, that our then dealcohlized.
How does the alcohol removal process work?
There are two main ways in which alcohol can be removed from wine. The most popular way in which alcohol is taken out of wine is through vacuum distillation, a process that heats the wine up and allows the ethanol to evaporate. High-quality producers of alcohol-free wine are extremely careful to heat the wine to the lowest temperature possible (around 35 degrees Celsius), which allows evaporation to take place without cooking the wine. The result is an authentic, true-to-taste “wine” with an ABV (alcohol by volume) no higher than 0.5 percent.
The second way in which wine can be dealcoholized is through reverse osmosis. Although this process has been proven successful, the technique uses a significant amount of water, which renders it not so environmentally friendly. Additionally, the removed ethanol cannot be reused and repurposed, as it is too diluted. With vacuum distillation (the former process), ethanol removed from wine can be used to create other products, which makes the first option a much more sustainable choice. A good example of wine made with vacuum distillation is Zero Lush Premium Non-Alcoholic Wine.
Did you know that some "alcohol-free wine" is not actually wine!
Unfortunately, that’s correct. When shopping for alcohol-free wine, look for words like alcohol-removed or dealcoholization somewhere on the label to avoid buying overpriced grape juice marketed as such.
What does true alcohol-free wine taste like?
Because true alcohol-free wine undergoes the entire vinification process, great alcohol-free products should taste very similar to alcoholic wine. However, “Alcohol-free” wines that don’t undergo a yeast fermentation and aging process will simply taste like sugary grape juice — in other words, tasty, but nothing like wine whatsoever. For example, Zero Lush's new-to-the-market 0% white wine has great flavors of lime, grapefruit, and lemon. Full-bodied, and flavor-packed, this bottle promises to leave your palate yearning for more (without having to experience the after-effects of excess alcohol intake).
How many calories are in non-alcoholic wine?
Most alcohol-free wines contain about 20 calories per 8-ounce pour, which is 85 percent less than full-strength alcoholic wines — even more reason to feel less guilty for indulging your craving. And remember, alcohol-free wines generally will not contain more than 0.5 percent ABV.
How to best enjoy alcohol-free wine?
Alcohol-free wine is best enjoyed in any situation where alcoholic wine would be served. Simply pop a bottle after work for a refreshing happy hour at home or pair with your favourite meals.
Note: When pairing alcohol-free wine with food and snacks, follow the same guidelines that you would when matching alcoholic wine with food. For example, think about the alcohol-free wine’s acidity, structure, and tannins (where applicable), then consider the meal that is being served. Cooking up a hearty, meat-heavy dish? Look for an alcohol-free red with ample acid and moderate levels of tannins. Preparing a seafood-dominant dish or snacking on salty happy-hour snacks? Grab a bottle of Zero Lush 0% for an out-of-this-world pairing.
What is a great example of a true alcohol-free wine?
After searching high and low for great examples of true alcohol-free wine, we’ve found that Zero Lush is one of the best in the business.