Understanding How Wine is Dealcoholized.

A Sommelier’s Guide to the Art of Dealcoholization

By Alex Viol — Co-Founder, Vino Zero

Wine is joy.

Wine is connection.

And for those not drinking alcohol, the growth in availability and quality of dealcoholized wine has meant that they, too, can share in the joy and connection of wine.

And that’s why Vino Zero exists: to make sure everyone gets a seat at the table.

But how do we keep the beauty of wine while removing the alcohol?

Let's look a little closer, at a question that we get asked daily.

Let's explore the various ways that wine is liberated from alcohol...

Vacuum Distillation

Gentle.

Elegant.

Very French.

Distillation is the age-old process of separating alcohol from liquid at different temperatures. When used in spirits production, such as gin or whiskey, distillation is carried out at high temperatures - but by lowering pressure, and distilling under vacuum, alcohol evaporates at much cooler temperatures (as low as 25°C).

This is important when using this distillation technique in winemaking, as it protects the wine's delicate character from heat damage. So as alcohol is gently removed, any aroma compounds that escape are also captured and returned, using advanced technology and expertise, therefore preserving the character of the wine...without the alcohol!

Spinning Cone Column (SCC)

High-tech precision meets fresh aromatics.

Speed meets preservation.

This method uses some of the same principles as vacuum distillation, where the application of heat is used to separate alcohol from the wine, all under pressure and under vacuum, at lower temperatures. However, this method differs in the set-up of the technology, where a giant stack of cones is used, with every other cone spinning at high speed, which sprays the wine into a thin film, and can allow for the separation of alcohol quickly and efficiently, while preserving flavour and aroma compounds.

Fast evaporation at super-low temps keeps those gorgeous aromatics alive — we love it for floral whites and rosé....but perhaps less so for bolder, structured red wines, due to the additional need to preserve tanning and body in the wines.

Reverse Osmosis

The go-to technique for premium reds.

This technique involves passing wine slowly through a series of membrane filters, under pressure, where different size membranes will allow smaller molecules through (e.g. water and ethanol) but retain larger molecules, such as flavour and aroma compounds, and liquid tannins. Ethanol (alcohol) can then be distilled from the water, and the water solution reintegrated back into the wine, 'reunited' with the flavour/aroma and tannins - for a dealcoholized wine that retains structure and elegance. A slower process, yes, but important when there is a need to focus on quality, especially with barrel aged wines, predominantly (but not exclusively) premium reds. This technique requires very 'clean' high quality wine, so is more suitable for good stuff!

The result? Structure. Tannins. Length. Complexity. Mouthfeel.

Thin-Film Evaporation

Thermal Flash! Fast and efficient — mainly used for bulk NA wine.

Not necessarily a technique used for more premium, high quality dealcoholized wines - this is about speed of production, more than preservation of wine character.

Wine is passed quickly over a heated surface as a thin film (under vacuum) to rapidly evaporate alcohol. Temperature control is not particularly effective, and this technique can lead to more of a 'cooked' wine character, present in lower quality AF wines.

This one works…especially for speed, but isn’t our favourite for high-quality wines due to potential heat impacts on the wine itself.

Membrane Contactors

The emerging future is exciting.

This technique is in early stage development and usage. It essentially uses speaicl hydrophobic membranes with an inert, 'binding' gas (usually nitrogen) gently remove alcohol from the wine. While still relatively new, (and expensive) this technique is extremely promising for the next generation of top-tier NA wines. So watch this space!

Perfecting Dealcoholized Wines

Removing alcohol changes the structure of a wine.

So, for premium NA wines, it is important to invest in various winemaking methods that will ensure these wines deliver on quality and experience expectations, for thos more discerning palates.

Top producers achieve better balance, and enhance structure with:

• Lees stirring. This requires a bit more time and effort, but involves regularly stirring up the natural sediment that is produced during fermentation, to reintegrate the particles back into the body of the wine., delivering creaminess, weight and texture.

• Barrel aging, pre-dealcoholization. Wine barrels are expensive, so is maturing wine in them for several months. But oak barrels impart new flavour, and tannin into the wine, as well as allowing a slow, gentle oxidation to occur - which creates layers of complexity, and improves wine stability...all at added cost, of course!

• Smart tannin management. Whether through oak barrel ageing, or blending natural tannins into dealcoholized wine, expert winemakers can achieve better balance in the final wine through thoughtful tannin management - which needs to be approipraitefor the varietal and style of the wine, ensuring shape, structure and 'grip'.

  
  

The skill and expertise of quality wine producers has improved significantly in recent years. Better quality wine is being used from the start, and better understanding throughtout the winemaking and dealcoholization process continues to deliver better results in the winery. After all, this is where the magic happens — and where the good wines become great.

Final Sip

Choosing non-alcoholic wine shouldn’t mean compromising on taste or experience.

At Vino Zero, we exist to celebrate memorable moments with everyone — wine lovers, mindful drinkers, and those who simply want a joyful glass without the buzz.

Explore the exciting world of premium non-alcoholic wine, at vinozero.co.uk.