Upping the ante on low-alcohol wines

New Zealand winery Giesen - one of the pioneers in the low-alcohol wine market - is upping the ante with a new range.

Giesen says there is increased consumer interest in lighter and no-alcohol wines, prompting the launch of the its new formula Pure Light range, which has been reduced from from 9% to 6% alcohol by volume.

"Wine lovers can now enjoy their New Zealand sauvignon blanc or pinot gris with 50% less alcohol, without compromising on flavour." Giesen says in a statement.

It is claimed the new wines also have 45% less calories than full-strength wine.

Recent research shows 46% of Australian wine drinkers claim to be reducing their alcohol intake, says Wine Intelligence.

That figure increases to 56% for the 18-34 age group.

Giesen Group has invested in a $1 million in-house spinning cone (the technology used to remove alcohol).

With three three years' experience making the Giesen 0% range, the company says it now has the capacity to reduce the alcohol in Pure Light and not lose any of the flavours or aromas.

I will report back after sampling the wines.

“This is an exciting evolution for our Pure Light range, which we have been making for several years at 9% alcohol/volume," says chief winemaker, Duncan Shouler.

"We’re doing things differently, though. The wines are first crafted as classic New Zealand sauvignon blanc and pinot gris, going through the same process as we use for our full-strength wines.

"We then use our advanced spinning cone technology to delicately remove alcohol down to 6% alc/vol, leaving us with lower alcohol but maximum flavour.

"Many would fail to even know that the wine is lighter-in-alcohol given the aroma and palate are so similar."




Both wines are gluten free and vegan friendly and will be rolling out across Australia in Dan Murphy’s stores with an RRP of $16.99.

Spinning around: Major investment in alcohol-free wine research

 I am yet to come across an alcohol-free wine that actually tastes like real wine. 

Too many taste as if they have simply been diluted with water. Harsh but fair. Won't get fooled again. 

Leading New Zealand wine company Giesen Group is, however, taking the non-alcohol wine category seriously, investing over a million dollars in their own specialised spinning cone technology to further refine the Giesen 0% wine range. 

It is hoped the investment will signal continued improvements in the quality of the current 0% Sauvignon Blanc, as well as new Pinot Gris and Rosé blends set for release in Australia in September.

The splurge is in response to the growing demand for the category, with research showing that Australians have a higher intent to purchase low- and no-alcohol products compared to the UK, USA and Canada. 

Younger consumers are also more likely to purchase a non-alcoholic wine with three out of 10 consumers aged between 18 to 34 basing their purchase on health and wellbeing, according to recent research. 

The main barrier for consumers considering lower alcohol wines is the perception they are "not really wine". True that. 

Giesen Group chief winemaker Duncan Shouler says: “To ensure we create the best 0% wines in market, we go through the entire winemaking process just as we would for a full-strength wine - from growing grapes for a year in the vineyard, to picking and processing the wine in the winery. 

"So to say that it is ‘not really wine’ is untrue in every sense.

“To make 0% we include the additional process of putting our full-strength wine through spinning cone distillation to gently remove the alcohol component. Making 0% alcohol is actually more expensive to produce compared to its full-strength counterpart and it is our absolute goal to produce 0% wines that actually taste like wine and not like grape juice, and with as low calories as possible.

“Having our own spinning cone allows us to increase production levels and really help drive quality. Firstly, we can be experimental and continually improve our 0% alcohol wine offerings, to meet consumer taste profiles. 

"I would say that now we are seeing better and better alcohol-removed wines every time we produce them.” 

When Giesen launched their 0% Sauvignon Blanc** last year, its sell-out releases in Australia and New Zealand proved consumer interest in this category was worth pursuing, the company decided. 

The Group also launched Ara Zero Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in September 2020, which is sold via independent retailers and on premise. 

For details see www.giesen.co.nz