Henkell Freixenet Installs Aroma Recovery System for Alcohol-Free Sparkling Wine

Henkell Freixenet is expanding its alcohol-free sparkling wine production in Wiesbaden, Germany, by installing a patented aroma recovery system from Solos Technology, a move the companies said is intended to improve the taste and sensory profile of premium dealcoholized wines.

The announcement was made Sunday by Solos Technology, which said the new system is being deployed at Henkell Freixenet’s Wiesbaden site, described by the group as its expertise center for alcohol-free production. The investment focuses on one of the main technical challenges in no- and low-alcohol wine: how to remove alcohol without stripping out the aromas that help define a wine’s identity.

According to Solos, its Aroma Recovery System captures natural aroma compounds after alcohol has been removed and then reintegrates them into the final product. The company said the goal is to preserve the original wine’s character more effectively than conventional dealcoholization systems.

The project brings together Henkell Freixenet’s winemaking operations and Solos’ dealcoholization and aroma recovery technology at a time when the market for alcohol-free and low-alcohol beverages is becoming more competitive. Producers across the sector have been trying to improve quality as consumers increasingly expect those products to deliver a drinking experience closer to traditional wine.

Henkell Freixenet said it has been producing alcohol-free sparkling wines for 30 years and has continued to invest in improving quality, taste and sensory character. In the companies’ account of the partnership, the latest installation is meant to build on that work as the no- and low-alcohol wine segment matures.

Claudia Geyer, chief technology officer of Solos Technology, said in a statement that the next phase of growth in the category will depend not only on removing alcohol, but also on preserving the identity of the original wine. Eberhard Benz, chief technology officer and vice chairman of Henkell Freixenet’s executive board, said the company wants to recover and carefully reintegrate natural aromas in order to better preserve authenticity, complexity and character.

Neither company disclosed the financial terms of the installation or the expected production capacity added at the Wiesbaden site.

The announcement is centered on sparkling wine, but the broader implications could reach beyond that category. For beverage producers, especially in wine but potentially also in beer and spirits, aroma preservation is becoming an important quality issue as no- and low-alcohol products move from a niche offering toward a more established part of the market. If large-scale producers can improve flavor retention through industrial systems, that could strengthen the competitive position of premium alcohol-free beverages and raise expectations across the sector.

Solos said the installation marks another step in the wider adoption of aroma recovery technology in dealcoholized beverages. The company describes itself as a global specialist in aroma recovery for premium no- and low-alcohol products. It said its patented system is based on solid-phase extraction technology and is designed to restore what it calls the original aroma signature of wine after alcohol removal.

The company also said it provides contract manufacturing for no- and low-alcohol wine, beer and spirits through an international network. Solos currently operates in Spain, California, Germany and Switzerland, and it is part of the Prodalim Group, according to the company.

Henkell Freixenet, headquartered in Germany, has a portfolio that includes sparkling wines, still wines and spirits. The company says its brands span Sekt, Cava, Prosecco, Champagne and Crémant. It has positioned the Wiesbaden operation as a key site for alcohol-free production as demand for those products grows in Europe and other markets.

One of the first products in Henkell Freixenet’s portfolio developed in collaboration with Solos is Fürst von Metternich Riesling Alcohol-free, according to material released with the announcement. The companies did not provide details on how many additional products may use the new system or when broader rollout across the portfolio might take place.

The technical issue at the center of the partnership is a familiar one in dealcoholized wine production. Removing alcohol can also remove volatile compounds that contribute to aroma, mouthfeel and varietal expression. That has often made it difficult for producers to match the complexity of traditional wines. By focusing on aroma capture and reintroduction, Henkell Freixenet and Solos are targeting one of the main reasons some consumers still see alcohol-free wine as lower quality than standard versions.

The timing also reflects a wider shift in the no- and low-alcohol market. Growth in the category has led producers to move beyond basic alcohol reduction and toward products positioned as premium. In that environment, improvements in sensory quality can carry commercial weight, particularly in sparkling wine, where freshness, fruit character and aromatic detail play a large role in how consumers judge the product.

The companies framed the Wiesbaden installation as a long-term step rather than a limited technical trial. While the effectiveness of the system in the market will depend on consumer response and product performance, the move shows that major beverage groups are putting more resources into production methods aimed at narrowing the quality gap between traditional and alcohol-free offerings.