Why is No/Low so popular?

The craze surrounding the Dry January challenge, which involves not drinking any alcohol throughout the month of January, clearly shows that the trend to consume less alcohol is increasingly present in the lives of the French. Drinks with little or no alcohol content are known as No-Low. And proof that it's of interest, the Wine Paris trade show, held from February 12 to 14, 2024, organized numerous conferences on the subject. We wanted to find out more.

What are No/Low beverages?

So-called "no-alcohol" wines, beers and spirits are flourishing, but where do the laws stand? De-alcoholized beverages will be subject to European labelling legislation in December 2021. For dealcoholized wines, the term "dealcoholized wine" covers wines ranging from 0% alcohol content to 0.5%. For beers, the alcoholic strength can be as high as 1.2%.

How is alcohol-free wine made?

There are two main techniques for producing "alcohol-free" wines: dealcoholized wines and drinks made from unfermented grape must. De-alcoholization involves distillation after grape fermentation to separate the alcohol from the wine. Unfermented grape-based beverages are obtained by maceration of grape must and seeds. Alcohol-free" products are then pasteurized and can be consumed within three years.

Wine Paris, the No/Low trend?

With 35,000 visitors in 2023, Wine Paris is the largest trade show for wine professionals in France. For its 2024 edition, the growth in No/Low exhibitors is striking. The event is recording 50% growth. Who's it for? No/low alcohol is being driven by Generation Z. A Sowine/Dynata survey shows that 44% of No/Low consumers are between 18 and 25 years old.

This trend is a major challenge for winegrowers, as declining consumption is leading to overproduction in France. In August 2023, Marc Fesneau, France's Minister of Agriculture, reported that France had a surplus of 3 million hectolitres of wine, or around 400 million bottles. Converting this surplus into alcohol-free wine is both an outlet and a financial challenge for French winegrowers. It goes without saying that a trade show like Wine Paris is a great way to promote this.

No/Low takes its place in restaurants

The No/Low is also finding its place on fine tables. Dominique Laporte, France's best sommelier in 2004, pioneered the creation of non-alcoholic drinks in France with his Petit Béret brand created in 2015. For him, the idea is to: "create a new experience, different from wine. Alcohol-free wines don't have the same length, nor the same aromatic power, but it's a drink that goes perfectly with the table! ". The French Bloom brand, headed by Rodolphe Frerejean Taittinger, produces effervescent wines with a premium positioning, and reaches high-end gastronomic establishments such as the Maison Pic in Valence and the restaurants of the Ducasse group. According to him, the majority of the brand's consumers are usually wine drinkers: " Our consumers are flexi-drinkers, and French Bloom enables them to consume a beverage even during festive occasions. "

At Wine Paris, the brand unveiled a vintage non-alcoholic sparkling wine. A first! But how is this possible? THE CEO of French Bloom explains:" This 2020 vintage, was thought of like wine, it was vinified and aged in barrels for four years to bring complexity and then de-alcoholized and carbonated. The result is interesting, with complex aromas and tertiary flavors. For a classic bottle of French Bloom, consumers will still have to pay around 30 euros for the first vintages. A price tag that might make the average consumer's eyes glaze over, but one that's sure to find a place in the luxury segment.
In the glass, even if the quality of alcohol-free products has clearly improved compared to a few years ago, they are often marked by candy-like aromas or a high residual sugar content (editor's note: not great). If these brands want Generation Z to be won over by their products, they will certainly have to offer more attractive prices to democratize them.