Dealcoholized wines, in 2026, +90% in Italian production is expected with an export share at 91%

At the debut of production in Italy, after years of legislative deadlock, Italian No-Lo wine producers, who until now had been producing abroad, gathered at Vinitaly 2026, which closes today at Veronafiere in Verona, to reflect on the future potential of made in Italy dealcoholized wines. The occasion was a round table held to present a study by Uiv-Vinitaly Observatory. According to the study, the value of No- and low-alcohol wine sales in the large-scale retail channel in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States amounts to just over 1.2 billion euros, corresponding to 160 million bottles sold. These figures are still modest but are expected to grow in these and other markets, where Italian No-Lo wines - currently holding a market share of 2.5% - have suffered from a time lag. And while the shared view among stakeholders is that this gap can only be bridged by playing the card of distinctive quality, production by Italian companies that are already making or are in the process of setting up dealcoholized wine lines is set to rise sharply: a +90% increase in output is forecast for 2026, with an export share of 91% and most sales taking place through the retail channel (77%).
“I believe that the driver of Italian production must be quality - underlined Fedele Angelillo, ceo of Mack & Schühle Italia Spa, which is about to start operations at a production facility in Puglia with a capacity of 8 million bottles - for two years we have been monitoring products on shelves in international markets, and their quality often leaves much to be desired. Many times, beverages that include No-Lo among their ingredients are being passed off as dealcoholized wines, confusing consumers. This is where quality and the clear identification of No-Lo as wine come into play: these are the elements the sector must focus on. We strongly believe that the segment can grow under these conditions, which underpin both our production and communication strategies. That is why, starting in May 2025, we invested in a major production facility, tackling all the authorization hurdles which, incidentally, are still ongoing. We are carrying out extensive trials to arrive at a product in which the consumer experience is as close as possible to traditional wine, focusing not only on quality but also on the made in Italy factor. That is our main goal”. The market potential is also confirmed by Mionetto, a player that has built up considerable experience, producing in Germany, particularly in export markets. “Our Group - explained Alessio Del Savio, managing director and technical director of the company, part of the German group Henkell-Freixenet - is present with No-Lo products, especially zero alcohol, in several EU countries and more recently in the United States. Today, the truly interesting markets are Germany, the Anglo-Saxon market, which is now consolidated, and, surprisingly, Poland. Consumption of no-alcohol products - he continued, touching on the issue of potential “cannibalization” of traditional wine by No-Lo wines - is currently fairly transversal. We have noticed that it mainly involves consumers who are different from traditional wine drinkers, people who, just a few years ago, didn’t think they would approach wine at all. This is a beginning that could also lead them toward traditional products”. This view is shared by Angelillo, who doesn’t see cannibalization as a problem, given that No-Lo wines still fall within the broader “wine” category. On the contrary, he argues that No-Lo wines, representing a new and growing market segment, will, as it happened with beer, also attract young people who do not currently drink wine and who, as highlighted by a survey by the Wine Observatory of Unione Italiana Vini - Uiv, prioritize not only health but also “protecting” their driving license. Moreover, Angelillo added, “No-Lo wines respond to demand for low-alcohol wines and benefit from a tax advantage linked to excise duties proportional to alcohol content, particularly in the UK”.
While the German market has clearly taken off, the US market is showing strong curiosity. “In the US, one label dominates, Stella Rosa (ed: an Italian-origin brand of semi-sweet, lightly sparkling low-alcohol wines) - illustrated Massimo Romani, ceo of Argea, a pioneer in dealcoholized wine production with numerous brands in its portfolio and significant investments in the installation of dealcoholization plants in Italy - which after impressive growth over the past two years, it has seen a slight downturn. At the moment, we are seeing greater interest in no-alcohol products, which still have small volumes but will grow, even if slowly, given the very long structure of the US distribution chain. Low-alcohol wines, on the other hand, have stabilized and continue to enjoy a very important market. We see positive prospects in the American market, and I would remind everyone that anyone producing low-alcohol wines under 6% Abv in Italy for export to the United States will need approval from the Food and Drug Administration”.
International markets are highly crowded, and in order to compete, Italian No-Lo wines, as Angelillo emphasized, must distinguish themselves precisely by leveraging their Italian identity. In this regard, Italian No-Lo players hope for a strong 100% “made in Italy” designation on the label. “Being able to specify Italian grape varieties on the label - deepened Romani - would strengthen the product anchoring to Italy, especially considering that international varieties can already be mentioned by law”.
“At present - replied Paolo Castelletti, secretary general of Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv) - EU regulations allow for dealcoholized wines with a Geographical Indication (Igt, Doc and Docg), and France is reflecting on this. In Italy, the Consolidated Wine Act does not allow No-Lo wines with a Geographical Indication to be produced unless it is amended. The supply chain is mature enough to introduce this new category. As for grape varieties, there are currently significant restrictions on their use on labels: only the seven international varieties permitted for generic wines may be used. I therefore see it as difficult to introduce native varieties on labels, since they cannot be protected in the same way as place names. That said, I believe it would add significant value”.
While production in Italy is about to take off, the foodservice sector is only cautiously approaching the No-Lo offering, although chef Cristina Bowerman, a visionary Michelin-starred chef, was a pioneer, introducing them as early as 2019 at her Glass Hostaria in Rome to create certain mocktails, i.e., sophisticated non-alcoholic cocktails (from the combination of the terms ‘mock’ and ‘cocktail’). “Years ago, after returning from London - explained Bowerman - I began expanding the cocktail offering with alcohol-free vermouths and spirits.
Later, we looked into adding wines as well, but honestly the quality was disappointing, and at present we only have two listed. I have observed that consumption and demand for No-Lo products have increased dramatically, especially after Covid. Today, every evening, at least a couple of tables request them, and my experience shows there is nothing to be afraid of: traditional and dealcoholized wines are different things. I see a parallel with the fears of declining cinema audiences when Netflix arrived in Italy. That didn’t happen, on the contrary, attendance initially increased. Offering differentiation is important to enable those who, for any reason, don’t want or can’t drink alcohol to drink with others. In fact, in the US, some people pretend to drink gin and tonic just to avoid feeling left out, when they only have tonic water, lemon and ice in the glass. That says a lot about the inclusive power dealcoholized wine can have. Today, heightened attention to food, alcohol, basic health, weight management, and even wearing second-hand clothes, for example, shapes the profile of a person who cares about the environment, recycles, and defines new categories compared to the past. This fluidity includes dealcoholized wines, and I am glad to know that excellent Italian No-Lo wines will be coming to market, I hope they will be interesting from a quality standpoint”.
“Taste remains a barrier to consumption for 25% of potential customers - Paolo Castelletti pointed out - but this share is gradually declining in direct proportion to improvements in production quality, and this is where Italy plays its decisive hand”.
Unlike in Italian restaurants, No-Lo wines are present in the US foodservice sector. “To make things easier for customers who may be the only ones at the table not wanting or able to drink alcohol - illustrated Romani - the offer is often by the glass or in half bottles. We producers need to find formats that meet this need without differing from traditional wine containers”. “Moreover - Angelillo added regarding packaging - the can is a “risky” option for dealcoholized wines, not only because it does not identify the product as Italian, but also in terms of quality, since the absence of alcohol’s protective effect may lead to microbiological imbalances”.
While choices regarding packaging are considered crucial, positioning remains a topic of debate. Bowerman believes prices should be aligned with those of traditional wines so that the same markups can be applied in restaurants. “Currently - agreed the ceo of Mack & Schühle Italia - prices are quite high due to elevated production costs, which we hope can be reduced through further technological innovation. A shared industrial strategy would also be extremely helpful in this respect. I believe the correct positioning for dealcoholized wines is the same as for traditional ones. However, on the markets we must contend with German and Spanish competitors who have enormous industrial capacity and appear on shelves with cans priced at 0.49 euros. Moreover, I insist on stressing that consumers still don’t distinguish between No-Lo wines and beverages made from dealcoholized wine with musts, fruit juices, and so on”.
While French Bloom, the French brand that is the leader in the “super-premium” non-alcoholic sparkling wine segment, founded in 2019 by Maggie Frerejean-Tattinger and top model Constance Jablonski, is creating an estate dedicated to dealcoholized wines whose quality starts in the vineyard, managed specifically for these products - in Italy Frizero Srl, a company based in the Valpolicella Classica area, has already begun production. As the first company authorized in Italy, it started from wines tied to their territory, with a current capacity of 300,000 bottles, scalable figures, working as a third-party producer for small and medium-sized wineries. “We accepted the risk of installing a plant in Italy, bolstered by our positive export experience in the US, Canada, Germany and Poland with our namesake zero-alcohol sparkling wines - explained Armando Fumanelli, a traditional Valpolicella wine producer and partner at Frizero - we position them in the premium price range, reaching shelves at between 18 and 23 dollars in the United States, where we have a very small niche market that is working precisely thanks to the strong connection between the product and traditional wine. This confirms that the path forward must be one of quality and assimilation with traditional wine, including in terms of packaging. After all, it is no coincidence that French Bloom has for some time opted for the half-bottle format to tackle an initial market where demand is still limited”.