The demand for lower-alcohol wines is growing as more people prioritise health, wellness and with the rise of so-called mindful consumption.

Lower-alcohol wines appeal to those looking to reduce calorie intake and alcohol-related health risks while still enjoying the flavours and social aspects of wine drinking. This includes situations where people want to enjoy a few glasses in a social set-up without having the rest of the day or evening written off. Moderation and balance are the watchwords of the modern consumer.

The trend is also driven by the rising popularity of lighter, fresher wine styles that pair well with modern cuisine, which often emphasizes delicate flavours and healthier ingredients. The rise in popularity of Pet-Nat wines, in particular, is a great example of the increasing interest, in lighter and fresher style wines.

Low-alcohol wines are wines with a lower alcoholic content compared to regular wines. Typical wines range from 12% to 15% alcohol by volume (ABV), but low-alcohol wines fall between the 0.5% to 10% ABV range.

In a world where rising temperatures are seeing grapes produce more sugars and hence higher potential alcohol, it’s not all that straightforward to produce good quality low-alcohol wines. The aim is to preserve the wine’s flavour, aroma, and balance, ensuring a quality product despite the reduced alcohol.

Making low-alcohol wines involves adjusting age-old processes or even completely new techniques. These include harvesting grapes earlier, reducing sugar levels, or using de-alcoholisation techniques like reverse osmosis or vacuum distillation.

Certain grape varieties are particularly well-suited for producing low-alcohol wines due to their natural characteristics.  Lower sugar content, higher aromatics and acidity are the key characteristics to look out for.

Riesling is a popular choice, known for its high acidity and ability to produce flavourful wines at lower alcohol levels. Mosel Rieslings, from Germany, has been famous for generations for producing high-quality, balanced, 7-9% ABV wines. Moscato Bianco is another popular option, offering aromatic and sweet profiles with naturally low alcohol.

Chenin Blanc and Albariño are also excellent for crafting refreshing, low-alcohol wines, thanks to their bright acidity and vibrant fruit flavours.

Among red grapes, Gamay and Pinot Noir stand out, producing light, fruity wines that can maintain complexity without high alcohol content, making them ideal for this style.

Harvesting dates are changing rapidly across regions as temperatures rise and the natural growing cycle of the vines adjusts accordingly. The way it works is that a grape starts with lots of acidity and not a lot of flavour or sugar. Over time on the vine, the sugars and flavours build, and the acidity drops. The skill of harvest is picking the right time to…pick!

When picking grapes for low-alcohol wines, it makes sense to pick them earlier in the growing season when sugar levels are lower. This results in less sugar being available for fermentation, leading to a naturally lower alcohol content in the final wine. Timing is even tougher to get it right. The grapes must be ripe enough to develop desired flavours but not so mature that sugar levels spike. Cool-climate regions are often ideal for this approach, as grapes naturally ripen more slowly. The careful balance of acidity and ripeness ensures the wine retains its freshness, vibrancy, and complexity, even with the reduced alcohol level.

A hot debate with winemakers is the use of yeast in wine during the fermentation process. You’ll hear lots of people debate whether to use native yeasts, which grow naturally in vineyards or wineries. This is very popular in the production of Pet-Net wines as many believe it is the zenith of terroir-driven wines.

On the other hand, people who use bought-in grapes, use selected yeasts that produce the exact flavours they desire at precise temperatures. It’s a debate that can go long into the night as there are thousands of “recognised” strains of yeast.

Selecting the right yeast for fermentation is critical in producing low-alcohol wines. Winemakers can choose yeast strains that are less efficient at converting sugar into alcohol, allowing for a slower, more controlled fermentation that results in lower alcohol content whilst enhancing fruit flavours and aromas.

For non-alcoholic wines, the production process harnesses modern technology to remove alcohol from a traditionally produced wine. The idea is to use one of these several techniques to reduce the ABV of the wine to the minimum whilst also preserving flavours:

1. Reverse osmosis is a common method, where wine is filtered to separate alcohol from water and other components, with the water and flavours later recombined.
2. Vacuum distillation is another technique, using lower temperatures to evaporate alcohol without harming the wine’s delicate aromas.
3. Spinning cone columns employ centrifugal force to separate alcohol from wine at a molecular level.

The first question is – what role does alcohol play in wine? It contributes to the perception of richness and intensity in wine, essentially the body of the wine.

Low-alcohol wines often differ in flavour from standard wines due to the lower alcohol content, which can influence the wine’s body, mouthfeel, and overall balance. They may taste lighter, with a more delicate profile.

Cheap or bulk-made low-alcohol wines will substitute the lack of alcohol (often removed using one of the industrial methods mentioned above) with sugar in some shape or form. They can often be very sweet to “pack out” the body on the de-alcoholised wine.

Skilled winemaking, however, can ensure that low-alcohol wines still offer vibrant fruit flavours, crisp acidity, and aromatic complexity. Those winemakers that experiment with naturally lower alcohol grape varieties (such as cool climate grapes) or lower alcohol processes (such as the production of Pet-Nats) are producing some fabulous, award-winning and super interesting wines for us all to enjoy.

Tillingham R – East Sussex, England
10.5% ABV

Tillingham R is produced from a blend of cool-climate red wine varieties including Regent, Gamay and Dornfelder. The wine is light red and opens with vivid juicy berry fruit aromatics and a herbaceous edge. The palate showcases layers of red-berries, with light peppery tannins, and low alcohol content. It is the perfect combination for an aperitif red or a summer chillable. A wine lends itself well to being served with a slight chill and pairs perfectly with cold cuts.

In fact, not only the “R” but Tillingham’s range all falls into the lower alcohol spectrum, with the maximum being at 12% ABV only!

Niepoort Primata NatCool, Portugal
10.4% ABV

Niepoort’s Primata is part of the ‘Natcool’ range from Niepoort. The range focuses on low-alcohol content and 1-litre bottles which are ideal for sharing. Naturally fermented with 100% whole bunches of Portuguese native varieties Tinta Amarela, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão and Touriga Nacional. The wine is unfiltered and unfined with minimal intervention to preserve the character of the intense strawberry compote and slate-soil minerality. Best to enjoy it slightly chilled to show its backbone of pure black cherry and raspberry fruit. It is refreshing and austere with beautiful tension, and floral notes of rockrose through to a dry, spicy and persistent finish.

Channing Daughters Bianco Pet Net, New York State, USA
10% ABV

Channing Daughters Bianco Pet Net is a straw-coloured, very lightly sparkling wine that is made by crushing the cool climate Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Friulano grapes and putting them straight into the bottle to ferment. Bianco has a note of white flowers, yeasty bread and red apple skin. The mouthfeel of the wine is apricots, peaches, Turkish delight and a lingering minerality. The style of pet-nat is to have a slight hint of sweetness balanced by the refreshing acidity in a wine that isn’t super serious, but instead accessible and playful at just 10% alcohol. You can pair this one with just about anything! Also, not to miss their Rosato Merlot Pet Nat, also at 10.5% ABV too!