Enjoy alcohol-free wines
A glass of wine is a potent remedy for a stressful day. For those who enjoy the ritual of a nightly glass or two, but not the fuzzy brain the next day, more and more winemakers are focusing on alcohol-free wines
They’re following a trend towards a more health-conscious focus on consuming alcohol — with the alcohol levels influencing which wines get put in the shopping basket. This is also reflected in a preference for naturally loweralcohol wines.
These hangover-free wines offer a more sophisticated, less party-pooper option than sipping on some water or coca-cola. “In the past few years especially, alcohol-free wines have become higher quality thanks to developments in technology,” says Ernst Buescher, a German Wine Institute (DWI) spokesman.
Methods that preserve flavour, and the targeted selections of higher-quality base wines, have contributed immensely to making non-alcoholic wines more interesting for fans of the grape. The traditional winery of Carl Jung (not to be confused with the Swiss psychiatrist) has been working on the removal of alcohol from wine for more than a century. Based in Germany’s western Rheingau region, his grandfather developed the vacuum distillation process — which is still used today — at the beginning of the 20th century, and he received the patent for it in 1907, says managing director Bernhard Jung.
The vacuum distillation
process
The vacuum distillation process involves extracting alcohol from the base wine at a low temperature. To keep flavour loss at a minimum, Jung developed a method that removes the aromas from the wine, then adds them back to the alcohol-free wine
involves extracting alcohol from the base wine at a low temperature. To keep flavour loss at a minimum, Jung developed a method that removes the aromas from the wine, then adds them back to the alcohol-free wine. This way, the wine keeps its “original flavours,” says Jung. It also means there’s a slight amount of alcohol: 0.3 per cent by volume, which under European law can be sold as alcoholfree.
Because alcohol also has a sweetening effect, wine that’s had the alcohol removed usually has to be sweetened afterwards. It’s important that a winemaker choose a “fresh, clean base wine with a good aroma,” says Jung. Wines such as a Riesling or
Chardonnay offer the right bouquet, but there’s always a certain sacrifice in terms of taste when removing alcohol. A certain confidence is needed in trying alcohol-free wines, as there’s no awards or labels that can help potential drinkers find their footing.
Sommelier Peer F. Holm recommends a tasting at a good wine shop. Start with your preferences regarding normal wines and go from there, he says. Someone who likes a Riesling will probably also like an alcohol-free Riesling. A Gewuerztraminer or Muscat Blanc are also worth a try, he says. Alcohol-free red wines have a lot of potential, but they’re harder to make, according to Holm. Instead of going alcohol-free, Holm instead prefers picking a wines that’s naturally less alcoholic — bringing their full body at only 8 per cent alcohol by volume — and drinking less.
He also sees more potential in the world of non-alcoholic sparkling wines and beer, as their bubbles help carry flavour.