The potential of a novel processing approach to deliver reduced-alcohol wines without compromising quality is being explored as part of project being led by Australia’s national science agency CSIRO.
Rather than removing alcohol after it has been produced through the fermentation process, the approach focuses on decreasing the fermentable sugar in grape juice or must before fermentation.
“Many of the current options for reducing alcohol rely on removing alcohol after fermentation, which can affect wine quality and require significant investment in specialised equipment,” said Dr Netsanet Terefe, principal research scientist at CSIRO and the lead on the project.
“By shifting the intervention point to before fermentation, we can moderate alcohol formation while avoiding the need for specialised dealcoholisation equipment.
“Importantly, our process would integrate with existing winemaking practices and equipment,” Dr Terefe added.
Laboratory-scale trials have demonstrated the potential to reduce alcohol levels by as much as 20-30% in both red and white wines. The next phase of the project, which is being funded by Wine Australia, will assess whether similar outcomes can be achieved at scale.
A key objective will be to validate the technology under commercial winemaking conditions. This will include assessing how the process integrates into standard winery operations, and evaluating impacts on wine composition, fermentation dynamics and final product quality.
The process has been designed to align with existing winemaking practices and equipment, which may support adoption if proven effective.
Alongside technical development, the project will also evaluate the commercial viability of the process.
If the technical and commercial feasibility of the process is confirmed, it is expected the technology will be available to the wine sector within three years.
If successful, the process will add to the options in a wine producer’s toolkit to make mid-strength products that fit within existing production systems. Research commissioned by Wine Australia suggests these products present a significant and growing opportunity for the sector.
Wine Australia recently held a webinar that explored the emerging market opportunities for Australian mid-strength wines, the regulatory considerations for various markets and research and practical insights into making these products.
Australian grape and wine sector levy payers can view a recording of the webinar here: Mid-strength wine: from consumer insights to commercial opportunity.