ADVERTISING: Advertorial — Enjoying fine wine flavor without the buzz: De-alcoholized vs. non-alcoholic wines

With "Dry January" in full swing, you may be looking for ways to enjoy the flavors of wine without the alcohol that comes with it. Luckily, there are more high-quality options than ever these days when it comes to "clean drinking." De-alcoholized and non-alcoholic wines allow you to get a taste of the grape without worrying about a morning hangover. But with two different production methods, they each offer a slightly different wine-drinking experience.

De-alcoholized wine: The post-ferment path

De-alcoholized wine starts off its life just like any other wine — as grapes fermented into an alcoholic beverage. The difference is that after the fermentation process, the ethanol alcohol is physically removed using techniques like vacuum distillation or reverse osmosis. This leaves you with regular wine minus most of the alcohol content. 

What you're left with is a beverage with typically less than 0.5% ABV (alcohol by volume). This allows folks to enjoy the nuanced aroma and flavor profiles of a high-quality wine, while consuming little-to-no alcohol. Many wine connoisseurs enjoy de-alcoholized versions as an alternative to help monitor their alcohol intake.

However, because the alcohol is physically removed after fermentation, some subtle flavor and aroma compounds can be impacted in the process. So don't expect it to have the exact same depth and complexity as the full-strength original. But modern de-alcoholization techniques have improved significantly, allowing more of the tasting notes to remain intact.

Non-acoholic wine: Stopping fermentation

Non-alcoholic wine takes a different approach — fermenting the juice, but stopping the process before much alcohol develops. This is achieved by methods like limiting the yeast, using lower sugar grapes, and filtering out the alcohol during fermentation.

The result is a beverage that didn't truly complete the fermentation to become wine but maintains the fruit forward flavors. What you're left with is a drink with 0.0%-0.5% ABV range.

This approach allows more of the fruity aroma and flavors to stick around. But some wine enthusiasts say non-alcoholic versions can taste a little too sweet or "flat." Without the alcohol, the flavors don’t open up and develop as in a fully fermented wine.

A growing trend

Both de-alcoholized and non-alcoholic wine alternatives have become more popular as consumer demand increases for low to no alcohol drinks. While non-alcoholic wine has seen particularly rapid growth recently, de-alcoholized wine enjoys a devout following of long-time fans. 

The availability of high quality, alcohol-free wines has expanded immensely in recent years. Many of the offerings now rival the taste subtleties of traditionally fermented wines.

For those wanting to maintain some of the complex flavor profiles of traditionally fermented wine, I'd recommend seeking out a high quality de-alcoholized version. And for those who prefer a fruitier, sweeter profile, non-alcoholic wines are likely more aligned with your palate. Either way, you can now sip and savor all the tastes of wine you love, without the alcohol you don’t.

So, whether you’re doing dry January, trying to cut back long-term, or simply want to enjoy wine’s flavor anytime without worrying about inebriation, give these clever concoctions a taste. With the range of options today, you can find low and no alcohol wines that fit your preferences and please your palate. Your days of compromising on taste for lower alcohol are over. We’ve got a wide variety of both non-alcoholic and de-alcoholized wine alternatives for you to experiment with at The Dinner Party!

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Laura Olson is co-owner of The Dinner Party along with her partner, Joe Petersen. You can also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop or visit www.thedinnerpartyshop.com.