How Great Low-Alcohol Wines Are Made and Are Better Than Ever

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Amidst the growing popularity of non-alcoholic and low-ABV (alcohol by volume) beverages, oenophiles who wanted to buck the trend faced a small problem: many of the wines weren’t that good. Based on several bottles we’ve tried, the process of eliminating the alcohol used in some alcohol-free and low-ABV selections gives us a wine that lacks the body and flavor we look for in a good glass. However, for those involved there is hope that they are enjoying the wine while enjoying the wine. There are talented winemakers producing vintages with naturally occurring low ABV, and we went in search of them to understand how they are achieving this feat.

Now, Germany and Austria have long been leaders in the field, producing Riesling and other aromatic whites with a complexity of ABV around 11 percent or less, and many sparkling wine styles are naturally lighter than their dry counterparts. But to meet the growing demand for lower ABV options, brewers in regions around the world are creating high-quality, full-flavored bottles with naturally lower alcohol and a smoother profile. And their work to extract maximum flavors from grapes with light alcohol potential begins well before any alcoholization process is employed.

It is said that great wines are made in the vineyard rather than the winery, and the same is true of low-alcohol wines. Much of the work that is done involves canopy management, the art of encouraging or discouraging the spreading of leaves around the grape clusters on the vine. The more sun and heat the grapes are exposed to, the higher the sugar content, and the higher the sugar content in the grapes, the higher the alcohol content. At Barone Pizzini in Franciacorta, which produces a beautiful range of classified Italian sparkling wines that all have around 12 percent ABV, vineyard managers build umbrella-shaped canopies to protect the grapes from too much sun. “The space between the cuttings and the bunches of grapes keeps them covered with leaves and protected,” explains general manager and CEO Silvano Brescinini. “We also quickly increase the height of the wall in favor of shading one row over another. We maintain the leaf cap and increase protection.” Another technique used at Barone Pizzini is to sprinkle kaolin, a white dust, on the leaves to improve photosynthesis and reflect solar rays. “This reduces sunburn and heat stress, which leads to higher acidity, less sugar storage, and lower alcohol levels in our wines,” says Brescinini.

Winemaker Julien Fayard created a new naturally low-alcohol brand, Les Vince Julien, which offers California white and red blends and a Sonoma Coast Chardonnay that runs at 10.5 and 11 percent ABV. He deliberately sought out older vineyards or challenged vines, ensuring the grapes experienced enough stress to allow for proper sugar ripening and phenolic development while resulting in a lower final alcohol content. Noting that wines that have had their alcohol reduced by processing are “of lower quality,” Fayard explains. Rob Report, “In wine, there is an aromatic component that is always associated with the quality of the product, and it is lost in the alcoholic product.” By working with older vines in cooler regions that offer a lower ripening profile, he allows the plants to carry extra fruit and denser leaves to reduce sugar loading. “We always favor less intervention and technical expertise in the vineyard rather than the winemaking process.”

While there is a clear definition of what constitutes a non-alcoholic wine—an ABV less than 0.5 percent—there is no standard level that indicates a low-alcohol wine. “Both Europe and the US have a clear definition of the non-alcoholic category, so consumers know what they’re buying,” says Liz Thach, president of the Wine Market Council. “In contrast, ‘low alcohol’ is ambiguous. The trade, regulators, and consumers all use different thresholds, such as less than 7.5 percent, 9 percent, 10 percent, or 11 percent ABV, and Wine Market Council research shows that consumers themselves define ‘low alcohol’ over a wide range. Many say 8 to 10 percent reduction, but the AB category has 8 to 10 percent reduction. Maybe It may not help in recognition or sales.

Thach believes that if the TTB (Liquor and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the government regulator of wines and spirits) defined the category using percentages, it would be helpful to the wine-buying public but not necessarily to winemakers. “I believe that as long as producers clearly label the percentage of alcohol on the front label in an easy-to-read font size, consumers will recognize and understand it as a low-alcohol wine.” For health-conscious consumers, Fayard takes the label a step further. In addition to the legally required ABV, bottles of Les Vins Julien include a list of ingredients as well as calories and carbohydrates per five-ounce serving.

When it comes to achieving low alcohol, cooler and wetter regions have a strong advantage, but in hot, dry Roussillon, Domaine Lafage owner and winemaker Jean-Marc Lafage has achieved the impossible with his Famille Lafage Miraflor Blanc Frisant, a delicious and refreshing wine with just 9% alcohol. He cites his organic and regenerative farming techniques along with a carbon-based water capture system as central to achieving fresh aromas and flavors but also credits canopy management as an important way to maintain a low ABV. “When we go to a vineyard to pick grapes, we shouldn’t be able to see them,” he says. “We don’t want the grapes to see the sun, because a bad heat wave will ruin the quality of the fruit.” While grapes with low sugar content that reduce alcohol may be hidden in plain sight, the final ABV isn’t: it’s right there on the back label. If, like many of us, you’re trying to limit the amount of alcohol you drink without completely giving up the pleasure of wine, finding well-made wines with a lower ABV is a step in the right direction.

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