No- and Low-Alcohol Wine Sales Surge 22% as U.S. Consumers Embrace New Drinking Habits

The no- and low-alcohol wine market is growing rapidly in the United States and around the world. According to a recent NielsenIQ analysis, non-alcoholic beverages saw 22% year-over-year growth, reaching $925 million in off-premise sales. Despite this surge, about 92% of buyers of non-alcoholic drinks still purchase alcoholic beverages as well, showing that most consumers are not giving up alcohol entirely but are instead choosing their drinks based on the occasion.

This shift in consumer behavior has encouraged both large and small wine producers to invest in no- and low-alcohol wines. The challenge for winemakers is to create products that deliver the same body, texture, and layered flavors as traditional wines, even without the alcohol. Alcohol plays a key role in carrying aromas and flavors, so removing it often means losing some of what makes wine enjoyable.

Winemakers are turning to new technologies and research to address these challenges. One area of focus is yeast selection. At Forrest Wines in Marlborough, New Zealand, winemaker Beth Forrest has worked with yeast manufacturers like Lallemand to find strains that produce less alcohol while enhancing mouthfeel and flavor. These yeasts can reduce alcohol by 0.5% to 1.5% ABV without sacrificing quality. Some species, such as Lachancea thermotolerans and Metschnikowia pulcherrima, convert sugar into other compounds like glycerol or organic acids instead of ethanol.

Australian Vintage has also experimented with non-Saccharomyces yeasts to create base wines with naturally lower alcohol content. By using sequential inoculations with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, they can achieve wines that are 1% to 4% lower in alcohol before further processing. This approach helps preserve freshness and aroma during dealcoholization.

Another method involves arresting fermentation through rapid cooling. At Weingut Van Volxem in Germany’s Mosel region, winemakers use dry ice and chilled tanks to slow down yeast activity after harvest. By fermenting at low temperatures and stopping the process early, they can retain more residual sugar and aromatic compounds while reducing alcohol levels significantly.

For wines that require complete removal of alcohol, advanced technologies are being developed. Traditional methods like vacuum distillation, reverse osmosis, and spinning cone columns have been used for decades but often strip away desirable flavors along with the ethanol. Newer approaches aim to solve this problem.

Solos, a technology company with facilities in Europe and California, uses a patented process involving vacuum distillation at low temperatures to extract aroma and flavor compounds from wine before removing the alcohol. These compounds are then reintroduced into the dealcoholized wine, preserving much of its original character. Rachel Martin of Oceano Zero in California reports that this technology has made a noticeable difference in the aromatic presence of her non-alcoholic wines compared to older methods.

In Phoenix, Arizona, ALTR is developing a nano-membrane filtration system called Velvet Blade that removes ethanol at the molecular level without heating or moving the wine from its tank. This process aims to keep all the structure, flavor, acids, polyphenols, and water intact while gently extracting only the alcohol.

Despite these technological advances, many winemakers emphasize that quality starts in the vineyard. Beth Forrest notes that starting with high-quality grapes is essential because dealcoholization concentrates all elements of the wine—good or bad. Using overflow or lower-quality wine as a base often leads to disappointing results.

The rise of no- and low-alcohol wines reflects changing attitudes toward drinking and wellness among consumers. Producers are responding by investing in research and technology to improve these products’ taste and complexity. As innovation continues, more options are becoming available for those seeking alternatives to traditional wine without sacrificing flavor or enjoyment.