How is low-alcohol wine made?
Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
How is "lite" or low-alcohol wine made? Are there any that are simply diluted with water or grape juice?
—Maurie R., Silver Spring, Md.
Dear Maurie,
The standard way to make non-, low-, or de-alcoholized wines is to make "normal" wine and then take the alcohol out. Most of the time, the wine goes through a type of distillation or is forced through a filter to remove the alcohol. It's really difficult (and expensive) to completely remove all the alcohol, and usually there will still be traces of it in the final product. As a result, a wine can be called "nonalcoholic" and still have up to half a percent of alcohol by volume. If you want a completely alcohol-free beverage, look for those words: "alcohol free." I'm not aware of anyone watering down wine to make a low-alcohol product, except for my friend who pours her Chardonnay over a big glass of ice.
—Dr. Vinny
