Low and no-alcohol trend, more wineries entering the new market

Some do it for health reasons, some because they are on a diet, and some because they don't want to take risks when they get behind the wheel: consumers are multiplying all over the world - the trend has been depopulated for some time in the U.S. and Great Britain, especially among young people (Millennials and Gen Z) - who have decided to decrease, or eliminate altogether, alcohol consumption. Now there is also “Dry January”, which pushes, in the first month of the year, for an even more stringent regimen, with the goal of a detox after the holiday revelry. These are the causes of the surge in the segment of low and no-alcohol products, not only beer and spirits (Virgin cocktails are a widely established trend in the mixology universe), but also wine. And while alcohol-free wines cannot (at least for the moment) be produced in Italy, pending a law to clarify and regulate the sector, there are many wineries abroad that are intercepting consumer signals and launching themselves into the new market. Such as Dr. Fischer-Hofstätter, a South Tyrolean winery that has launched its “Steinbock” line, made in Germany, for those who cannot or will not drink alcohol. Or the many companies in France that are beginning to invest in wines with low or zero alcohol content.
While the position of the Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida is clear in our country, according to which alcohol-free wine cannot be called wine (in the name of the principle of quality and origin on which the foundations of our agri-food system rest), there are those who are convinced that that of alcohol-free wines is a segment worth investing in over the next few years. In South Tyrol, the alcohol-free products in the “Steinbock” line, signed Dr. Fischer-Hofstätter, include two Riesling-based versions: the Steinbock Zero Sparkling and the Steinbock Zero still wine. The fruit of grapes grown in vineyards in Germany, the two labels are created by an innovative dealcoholization technique that preserves their delicate aromas. “When we started producing these alcohol-free labels, the category was almost unknown in Italy, unlike in Anglo-Saxon countries, Germany and Scandinavian countries”, explains Martin Foradori Hofstätter, at the helm of the estate of the same name, “the high-positioned hotellerie, also as a result of the demand from the many foreign guests, was the market segment that was immediately most interested in this type of product, but today the attention is also growing from the world of mixology, which with an alcohol-free sparkling wine can create original cocktails without or with low alcohol content. The large-scale retail trade is also starting to become more and more interested in this category, and this is an important sign that shows how the end consumer is increasingly attracted to these innovative products”. The sales results speak for themselves: “In terms of volumes”, says Martin Foradori Hofstätter, “in 2023, over the previous year, we can talk about increases of around 60% in the horeca channel and numbers that are touching +40% in large-scale distribution. Ours are premium products, which have nothing to do with the grape juices on the market and cannot be compared to them, in terms of production method, but also in terms of taste and smell. Vacuum dealcoholization is the least invasive process of all the techniques currently used; it involves physical processes without any chemical support”. Among the reasons that may lead consumers to choose this alternative is also the moderate calorie content: a glass of alcohol-free wine contains, in fact, up to 70% fewer calories over one of wine.
France is also moving fast, as witnessed by Vitisphere magazine: Bordeaux Families, a cooperative of 300 winemaking families, has invested 2.5 million euros on a dealcoholization system using vacuum distillation. Operating in Sauveterre de Guyenne, it can dealcoholise (partially or completely) 250 hectoliters of wine per day, and will be used by the winery to dealcoholise its own wines but also those of other producers. Several labels the winery is preparing to put on the shelves: under the “Louis Vallon” brand, it has produced two types, Zéphyr and Perles de Louis Vallon. The “Sauv'Terre” brand includes three flavored non-alcoholic drinks based on white, red and rosé wine. These are joined by three low-alcohol wines: a Merlot, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Rosé, under the “Les Voiles de l'Atlantique” brand. “We are expanding our existing brands in this segment”, explains Philippe Cazaux, Bordeaux Families director, “and the results are amazing. Vacuum distillation allows us to preserve the qualities of the base wines. We offer new products for different moments in life: as consumption is no longer regular, we realized we had to adapt”.
Instead, Berticot, a brand that belongs to the Terre de Vignerons cooperative group, has recently landed in the no-alcohol segment and is counting on “Dry January”, a movement that, according to the company, “is followed by a third of French people over the age of 18”, to boost its sales. Its trump cards are the “Bertic0%t” range (dedicated to large retailers) and “No limit” (for wine shops). “We are gradually moving into this niche segment”, explains Chloé Maixandeau, marketing director of Terre de Vignerons, “in 2020 exporters asked us for wines with much lower alcohol contents. We could not deprive ourselves of these markets at our disposal”. Before launching, the cooperative had to convince its members. “The quality of non-alcoholic wines worried them”, continues Chloé Maixandeau, “after tasting the resulting products, they liked them and understood that it made sense to sell them under the Berticot brand to capitalize under our name”. Since their launch in February 2023, the cooperative has sold 25,000 bottles. “We are thinking about a rosé sparkling wine that could be launched in 2024”, Maixandeau concludes.
But jumping into the trend is not just big companies: Domaine de Brau is a small estate (20 hectares) in southern France, certified organic since 1989. It has recently launched a “Cypher”, a no-alcohol range that includes, among others, an organic rosé made with 100 percent Grenache grapes: “It is the non-alcoholic version of our best-selling rosé, “Pop With Love”, explains Fabien Revol, owner of the winery, “of the 8,000 bottles produced, I have already sold 6,000”. Completing the range is a still white, available in bottle and can, and sparkling wine in a can.
Finally, Moderato, a start-up created in 2020 and focused on low and no-alcohol wines, is joining forces with the large cooperative group Vivadour to create Chai Sobre, a pioneering center for the production of quality dealcolated wines in France. The new facility aims to become an industry excellence and will be open to the entire wine supply chain. Costing more than 1 million euros, it is expected to be operational in the second half of 2024: located on the site of the Vic-Fezensac winery in the Gers region, it will be able to process 100,000 hectoliters of wine per year by vacuum distillation.