In a social gathering, enjoying wine is now possible without alcohol. You don't have to give up the familiar wine taste either. Non-alcoholic wines also contain the aromatic compounds that characterize wine. And these wines are gaining more and more fans. Thanks to ingenuity and high-tech methods, innovative winemakers from Rheinhessen are producing non-alcoholic wines that uphold quality standards and offer a new perspective on wine enjoyment.
It is almost impossible to produce a wine from which every last shred of alcohol has been removed. This is why a wine from which the alcohol has been removed as far as possible can be called “alcohol-free” under EU law, as long as the value of 0.5% vol. (or 4g/l) alcohol is not exceeded.
Small amounts of alcohol can even be found in juices, ripe fruit, fermented vegetables, chocolate, etc.
The vacuum process is generally used in the production of non-alcoholic wine. This is simply because it best preserves the taste of the wine. The vacuum lowers the evaporation point of alcohol. Gentle heating to 27 degrees is sufficient to remove the alcohol from the wine and largely preserve the aroma components.
Aromatic grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc or Gelber Muskateller are particularly suitable for the production of alcohol-free wines.
Innovative Rhine-Hessian winegrowers are already perfecting the production of alcohol-free wine and finding new solutions to preserve the authentic taste experience without alcohol.
Here we present a selection of the protagonists:
Peter Hinkel (Weingut Dr. Hinkel in Framersheim) spices up the de-alcoholized wine by adding 20% verjus, the juice of unripe grapes.
This gives the alcohol-free wine a freshness kick and creates an exciting interplay of sweetness and acidity that combines the absence of alcohol with the taste experience of wine in a driver-friendly way.
Daniel Mattern (Weingut Daniel Mattern in Mettenheim) presents a Riesling with an astonishing ripeness that is rarely found in non-alcoholic wines. This wine has the typical aroma of a high-quality Riesling and is reminiscent of quince and peach.
But Sauvignon Blanc, rosé and sparkling wine are also established alcohol-free wines in Mattern's range.
Johannes Trautwein (Weinkellerei Trautwein in Lonsheim) prefers to refer to his wines as “dealcoholized” rather than alcohol-free. He relies on very gentle vacuum distillation and pays particular attention to preserving the wine aromas typical of the grape variety.
Johannes Balzhäuser presents his typical Rhine-Hessian Riesling vom Löss, less acidic, with pronounced fruit as an alcohol-free version. The residual sweetness, which is essential for the aroma, is reduced to a minimum, making the wine fresh and dry.
These wineries have non-alcoholic wines in their range. Just take a look, many of them also have an online store.
with tips for “Dry January”
We start the new year with good intentions and delicious recipes.
This raw vegetable salad made from Brussels sprouts, apples, onions and spicy walnuts is just what we need! Because cabbage can also be used to make great salads for winter