Do we have to remove degrees from the wine?

In almost all the forecasts of wine trends for this year there are two elements that are repeated: concern for health and non-alcoholic or reduced alcohol wines that already have their own name: NOLO (no alcohol and low alcohol). All this accentuated by the Anglo-Saxon tradition of Dry January, a January month of abstinence to purify the body of Christmas excesses, which, judging by the number of headlines and posts generated at the beginning of 2024, is here to stay, like Christmas or Halloween. The background wave is the change in public policies on alcohol that are moving from moderate consumption to zero intake.

Things looked very different in the early nineties, when the University of Bordeaux scientist Serge Renaud revealed on the program 60 minutes, from CBS, the “French paradox”: thanks to the fact that moderate wine consumption compensated for a high-fat diet, the incidence of coronary heart disease in the French country was particularly low. The discovery boosted wine consumption in the United States.

Three decades later, the Lifestyle, Diet, Wine & Health congress, held in Toledo in October 2023, highlighted the complexity of reaching valid conclusions for all population groups, the discrepancies in the interpretation of the data and the difficulty of highlighting positive aspects of moderate consumption in a context in which begin to see alcohol as the next tobacco. How much is moderate? The scientists meeting in Toledo aimed at two drinks a day; In Canada there are now two drinks for the whole week.

During the thousands of years that wine has accompanied man, it has served as food (this is still recognized by the Law of Vine and Wine of 2003), a vehicle for celebration and escape, an offering, an antiseptic, a healing drink and even part of the salary paid in kind. Today it is part of the realm of enjoyment, celebration, and gastronomy. It's an adult pleasure.

The reality hidden behind a glass of wine also contains its paradoxes. As the country with the largest vineyard area in the world, we have consumption figures noticeably lower than neighbors with a similar wine-growing tradition such as France, Italy or Portugal. Or that now that there is so much concern about emptied Spain, there is no more emphasis on the added value that wine can bring to rural areas. There are significant examples such as Priorat (Catalonia), Ribera del Duero (Castilla y León) or some Galician areas. The vine articulates the landscape and life of numerous Spanish regions. Wine is more than alcohol.

The novelty now is that technology makes it possible to eliminate that element under debate. The process is different from that of beer, which usually uses controlled fermentation at a low temperature and with fewer yeasts to prevent them from coming into contact with sugars and generating alcohol. In NOLOs, the starting point is an already made wine from which the volatile compounds (aromas) are extracted and then the alcohol. The product is then recomposed, returning the aromas (although some remain by the wayside) and filling the more or less large space left by the alcohol, normally with must from the grape itself, which implies a sweetening of the flavor.

The main conclusion of a comparative NOLO tasting organized last year is that these wines may appeal to consumers whose priority is to enjoy a non-alcoholic drink, but they are far from offering the levels of intensity, texture, depth of flavors and balance of a typical wine. The examples that worked best were based on wines of moderate alcohol content and used aromatic varieties that better preserved their attributes.

Increasing demand for non-alcoholic products is generating interest in the wine industry, including respected producers in Germany such as Dr. Loosen. This year the ProWein fair will have an area dedicated to NOLOs. There you can try theoretically healthier products, but also—and here a new paradox arises—very heavily intervened. Three wines to face this 2024, alcohol-free or with moderate alcohol content.

Natureo 2022

Pioneers in promoting measures to reduce the carbon footprint, mitigate global warming and adapt to climate change, the Torres family is an international benchmark. With a research vocation that touches many subjects, he became interested very early in low-alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines. This Natureo is the most correct that can be found in Spain in the category: a muscatel that is well recognizable on the nose, and with the sugar load typical of these wines that is well balanced.

·DO: does not have
·Guy: white 0%
·Strains: Muscat of Alexandria
·Price: 8 euros

Tussío 2022

Spain has sufficient geographical diversity to offer wines with a fresh profile and contained grades. In addition to not exceeding 12% vol., this white will help many fans discover that wine is also made in Cantabria. Here, with vineyards highly influenced by the sea, the saline notes are appreciated from the nose, where there is also some white fruit, but they take center stage on a palate that combines that marine sapidity with hints of citrus and bitter orange.

·VT: Cantabrian coast
·Guy: white 12%
·Strains: hondarrabi zuri and albariño
·Price: 11 euros

Eclectic 2021

On the edge of the border with Portugal, Arribes is the most remote and forgotten region of the Douro Valley. Originally from the area, José Manuel Benéitez has returned with his wife and his two children to create a family winery that seeks to capture the character of the old local vineyards. One of his latest developments is this mencía from Villalcampo, in the northern part of the DO, grown on slate soils. A red with race, freshness, memories of wild berries, forest and humid earth. Landscapes that drink and that establish population.

·DO: Arrivals
·Guy: red 12.5%
·Strains: mencía
·Price: 17 euros