Definition: Low-alcohol wine

Alcohol-free or low-alcohol wines (less than 10%) are back in the news. Unsuccessful attempts have led powerful groups in Switzerland to give up. It should be noted that the aromas of wine are contained in the alcohol. Removing the alcohol from wine also removes its aromas. Nevertheless, several French and foreign brands have been launched recently (2003). Let's take stock of this still underdeveloped market. A favourable economic climate in France has led to two phenomena that are now prompting operators to take an interest in low-alcohol or alcohol-free wines:

1) Increased enforcement of alcohol regulations has changed consumption habits. Tighter regulations are opening up markets for alcohol-free wine that were not previously interested, such as the catering industry. Uccoar is a group that produces an alcohol-free "0°" wine in the Aude region.

2) The structural decline in wine consumption in France is encouraging the launch of new products, particularly those aimed at young people and women. Today, more wines are made for tasting, around 13°, than wines for drinking, yet there is a demand for light, easy-to-drink wines.

However, it is not certain that reducing the alcohol content in wine will appeal to young people. A recent survey by the Fédération des Vignerons Coopérateurs de Vaucluse (Federation of Cooperative Winegrowers of Vaucluse) suggests the opposite. When asked "Would you prefer wines with a lower alcohol content?", 78% of 18-28 year olds surveyed answered "no". It seems that young people clearly distinguish between spirits (strong alcohol and beer) and wine, which is meant to be savoured.

Alcohol-free wines, a niche market:

"Non-alcoholic wines" are actually drinks made from de-alcoholised wine. In France, the pioneer in this sector is Uccoar, which launched the "0°" brand in 1989. The process, licensed by INRA, consists of removing the alcohol from the wine by low-temperature vacuum distillation, then enriching it with concentrated grape must. Every year, 1.5 million bottles of "0°" are sold in supermarkets. Sales are growing by around 10% per year. The buyers are people who need an alcohol-free product, often for medical reasons. If we can expand this group of buyers and bring alcohol-free wines into the realm of pleasure consumption, then there will be great potential for these products. At Auchan, "0°" wines account for around 2% of table wine sales. It is a niche market, but it is holding steady in terms of volume, unlike table wines, which are declining.

Another French company, "Signatures d'Alsace", has just entered this market. Demand was already latent three or four years ago, and has grown over the last six months with the Sarkozy effect (2004). Demand is particularly strong in the catering industry. Since April, the Alsatian company has been marketing a white, a red, a rosé and a sparkling wine. The wines, produced in France, are dealcoholised in Germany (final alcohol content: 0.3%). Target audience: Anyone who cannot drink wine, from athletes to diabetics to restaurant customers. There are several operators abroad that specialise in dealcoholised wine. The main ones are Germany's Carl Jung and the American companies Ariel and Sutter Home. The latter markets the "Free" range, with seven wines (including a Chardonnay, a Merlot and a Zinfandel) with an alcohol content of less than 0.5%. These wines are sold for around £4.50 a bottle on the Internet.

The revival of "low alcohol":

The market for low-alcohol wines is diverse. Alcohol content ranges from 10% to 1%, from traditionally light European wines (such as Clairette de Die or Portuguese vinho verde) to American and Australian "low alcohol wines" and sparkling wines such as "pétillant de raisin (3%), developed by INRA, which sells more than 5 million bottles each year. As early as the 1970s, American wineries attempted to launch products with an alcohol content of 6 to 7%, but without lasting success. In recent years, new brands have appeared. In 2001, Australian company BRL Hardy launched the "Wicked Wines" range, with two low-alcohol wines (6.2%, one white and one red) produced in the Riverland region. At the same time, another Australian company, Foster's, launched the Swaying Willow brand, a very low-alcohol Chardonnay (1%) from the Barossa Valley. It should be noted that these wines are often marketed as "diet wines", with producers emphasising their low calorie content (which is reduced by two-thirds for Swaying Willow Chardonnay). For its part, the wine and spirits group Diageo (Smirnoff, Bacardi, Guinness) launched the Sorella brand last year, a wine designed for female consumers with half the alcohol content. The base grape variety, Chardonnay, is combined with sparkling water and raspberry flavours. This hybrid product, sold in 27 cl bottles, is the result of extensive market research conducted by Diageo. The target audience is women aged 25 to 34 who enjoy drinking wine at home but are reluctant to do so in bars and restaurants. According to Diageo, these women do not like beer or premixed drinks and find spirits too strong and too expensive.

Listel launches a 9% ABV rosé:

In France, Listel is the first major operator to market a still wine highlighting its low alcohol content: the Val d'Orbieu group subsidiary is launching the "L" brand in early May. This rosé, with a screw cap, has an alcohol content of 9° (recommended retail price: €2.50). It is available in supermarkets. Target audience: young adults and women. Occasional consumers need simpler products. Added to this is the current road safety campaign. The response from distributors has been very favourable. This launch will serve as a test for Val d'Orbieu. If successful, there will be nothing to prevent the launch of other low-alcohol wines.

Partial source and recommended website: http://www.vitisphere.com/