The Lowdown on Low-Alcohol: Why Wine’s Going Lite

From weekday sipping to wellness trends, low-alcohol wines are leading a new era in drinking culture

It’s a familiar scene … at least for me. I reach into my wine collection to snag a bottle of white to pop as I cook dinner. This evening, I have a hankering for Chardonnay. I finally land on a selection—let’s say it’s an exciting little number from the Russian River Valley. Eager to learn more, I turn the bottle over in my hands. I read the story of the winery and scan the label for any other details, and there it is: the ABV of the wine—a whopping 14.3%.

It’s no secret that climate change is contributing to rising alcohol levels in wine across the globe, and much has been written about what this means for well-established and emerging wine regions. Much has also been written about the health impacts of alcohol and changes in consumer behavior surrounding wine and wellness. But this is not that story.

While I’m not categorically opposed to relatively high alcohol in wines, in particular when the wine is otherwise balanced, I do find that I’m often a little less excited about opening these wines, mostly because it likely means I have to be that much more judicious in my sipping. As a true lover of wine, I’m not in it for the buzz. I drink it because I genuinely love the beverage and enjoy a glass as I cook or sit out on the patio after a long day. I also live by the oft-quoted, widely attributed belief that, “A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine,” which is equally a statement about my love of wine and my self-diagnosed seasonal affective disorder.   

Finally, Some Middle Ground

Happily, on the heels of the wildly expanding zero-proof movement, another category of wine has emerged: low-alcohol wines. I don’t mean the ones that just happen to be lower in alcohol because of their region or winemaking style (which I will always celebrate). I’m referring to the “lo” wines of the “no-lo” category; wines that are specifically made and branded to be low-alcohol. The “lite” selections of the wine world, if you will.

On its face, this is an appealing category for me and, I assume, others who choose not to teetotal but aren’t looking for an accidental wine hangover stemming from a simple Tuesday dinner. But when I started to explore the category further, I found myself going down a rabbit hole of questions. Is there a threshold that a wine needs to fall under to be considered “low alcohol”? How are these wines made? And, if the goal is to craft wines that are full in flavor but lower in alcohol—as many of these new brands promise—why aren’t all wines made this way? Lastly, some of the branding is confusing, seemingly trying to be all things to all people. Low calorie! Low sugar! Low alcohol! Does being low-alcohol wine have to also mean it’s branded as “wine lite?”

Matt Hughes is a key figure in the dealcoholization and alcohol reduction space, currently serving as the U.S. General Manager at Solos, a technology-focused company that uses patented aroma recovery technology designed to preserve the full flavor profile of beverages after alcohol removal, a common challenge in the production of low- and no-alcohol wines and other drinks. Hughes is working to bring this advanced technology to the U.S., collaborating with Rack & Riddle to set up a service and research hub in Sonoma County. ​

Hughes sees the consumption moderation space—including the no-alcohol category—as somewhat of a non-negotiable for brands looking to stay relevant in today’s market. “What I notice the most are the major brands that are launching [low alcohol] versions of their existing products as opposed to new brands,” he says. “Even beyond that trend, a major non-alcoholic brand [Surely] recently entered the ‘Lo’ space as well, coming in from the other direction. In the not-so-distant future I see most brands needing to be in both spaces, having products that vary from traditional levels of alcohol, to lower, to non-alcoholic.”

Indeed, most of the brands I’ve tasted to-date are product lines launched by well-established wineries seeing the clear market opportunity of the low-alcohol space. Washington State juggernaut Chateau Ste. Michelle released their Chateau Ste. Michelle LIGHT line in Spring 2024 around the same time as grocery store wine staple Bread & Butter Wines launched the cleverly-named Bread & Butter Sliced. Leading Italian wine producer Mezzacorona introduced low alcohol, low calorie wine Ventessa to their portfolio back in 2022. Others like Arlow Wines are simply entering the space as a stand-alone concept.  

Lifting the Hood on Lowering the Alcohol

So what’s involved in taking a wine from full-proof to low? “To make a big impact on the volume of alcohol in wines it is usually necessary to remove a portion of the alcohol with either reverse osmosis or vacuum distillation,” says Hughes. “With reverse osmosis large volumes can be time consuming and it’s difficult to achieve lower levels of alcohol. Vacuum Distillation suffers from larger volume losses, in particular with the spinning cone variant. Both methods also suffer from a loss of aroma and flavor compounds although with new technology we can recover these important components.”

Chateau Ste Michelle LIGHT wines, which include a Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, are made by reducing a portion of the alcohol on 25% of the total volume and adding it back with the base blend, with the goal of creating a lower alcohol wine—in this case 9% ABV—while retaining flavor. They also promise “ZERO sugar and 80 calories” per serving. “The ideal consumer is someone who enjoys the wine experience but is seeking more mindful indulgence without sacrificing quality and taste,” says Tim Cannon, Chateau Ste. Michelle Director of Marketing.

Hughes notes that there is currently no clearly defined “low” level of alcohol for the brands in this category. “It is even unacceptable according to the TTB to make a statement indicating such. As this space and the industry evolves this needs to be updated.  Consumers need terms like ‘alcohol removed’ to be regulated and producers need the freedom to make wines anywhere in the range between non-alcoholic (<0.5% ABV) and what is considered ‘normal’ wine.”

All of the brands in the category promise a lower alcohol alternative with the same full flavor. Generally speaking, the wines I’ve tasted have all been fine, if perhaps unremarkable. Concentration is widely recognized as a key pillar in a noteworthy wine and this attribute is often missing in these low-alcohol selections. Nevertheless, these wines are simple and straightforward, easy-drinking, and generally well made. Not something to write home about, but perhaps that’s not the point.

Light Wine or Wine Lite

In all marketing materials across the board in this category there is great emphasis on lifestyle choices and wellness-driven consumption, and these products all deliver on that front. There is indeed something appealing about the idea of cracking open a bottle of wine that’s 6% alcohol for a picnic in the park versus a zero-proof option or a full-strength one, even if it’s not registering particularly high on the “transcendental wine” meter. Sometimes we don’t need something to contemplate; we just need something that tastes good and creates the same sense of occasion as a regular bottle of wine.

There is also an additional emphasis on calorie count and sugar levels, which may assume that those looking to reduce alcohol intake are also looking to reduce intake across the board, a move some would argue targets a very specific type of consumer and may alienate others. And yet, as Bread & Butter Sliced winemaker Linda Trotta notes, “While there’s often a correlation since alcohol is the primary contributor to calories and sugar content in wine, the motivations for choosing low-alcohol wines can vary. Some consumers are specifically looking for lower-calorie options, while others might be more focused on moderation for other reasons, such as lifestyle choices or personal preferences.” Indeed, I love a greasy pizza and an indulgent dessert with my wine, I just don’t want to get drunk.

Finding the Right Mix

While many of these brands are using the rapidly advancing alcohol removal technology available to them, others, like Ventessa, and Domaine Bousquet’s LO CA line of wines, are simply altering their vine growing and winemaking processes or leveraging specific terroir. “Ventessa wines are naturally lower in ABV due to the higher elevation terrain and environment in Trentino,” says Barbara Darra, Mezzacorona’s Global Marketing Manager. “Our sunny days favor optimal aromas, cold nights help preserve acidity, and the Ventessa wind accelerates the ripening of grapes without increasing the sugar level, yielding crisp flavors and naturally lower alcohol.” LO CA currently includes a USDA Organic Malbec and Chardonnay from Argentina’s Uco Valley, and Ventessa includes a Pinot Grigio, Pinot Grigio Rosé, and a recently released Red Blend of local grapes Schiava and Teroldego.

In a battle for younger consumers’ attention, managing to address mindful consumption trends while also offering authenticity and the promise of discovery is an impressive feat. “These wines hit the mark when they offer the benefits of reduced alcohol and calories and yet retain the stories and sense of place that makes wine the amazing experience that it is,” says Hughes, underscoring both the challenges and potential areas of opportunity for this growing category. “It’s not enough that these products just have less alcohol and that’s what they are about.”

As technologies and techniques for lowering alcohol levels continue to improve and more options hit the market it will be interesting to see how these brands evolve and communicate their unique value proposition. “Through the years of running Surely, we learned that the large majority of our customers were using non-alc wine to moderate their alcohol consumption, rather than cut it out all together,” says Brandon Joldersma, CEO of Arlow and Surely Wines. “There’s a massive portion of the population that is looking for low alcohol as the primary value proposition, and until now, they weren’t being talked to.”

It appears they’re now being addressed from all angles, which, as I select which wine to open this evening knowing I’ve got to get to an early morning kids’ baseball game tomorrow, is a really good thing.

5 Low Alcohol Wine Brands to Explore

LO CA, Uco Valley, Argentina, $14

A play on “low-calorie,” LOCA also means “crazy” in Spanish, a nod to the brand’s sentiment that creating a low-calorie, low-alcohol, low-sugar, vegan, gluten-free, USDA-certified organic, Regenerative Organic Certified™, and Ecocert-approved was perhaps a crazy endeavor. For now, the line includes a Malbec and Chardonnay that are naturally low in alcohol and high in flavor thanks to the unique growing conditions of Tupungato, the premier subregion of Mendoza’s high-altitude Uco Valley in the foothills of the Andes mountains. 4,000 feet of elevation, significant diurnal shift, sandy soils, and near constant breezes from the Andes mitigate heat-stress in this desert-like climate. The result? Genuinely tasty wines with mouth-watering freshness and surprising concentration at a palatable 9.5% alcohol for the Malbec and 9% for the Chardonnay.

Ventessa by Mezzacorona, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy, $12-$13

Ventessa wines use handpicked grapes to produce naturally low-alcohol and low-calorie wines and are made with traditional winemaking methods and without artificial de-alcoholization. The line currently includes a crisp, clean Pinot Grigio, a crushable Pinot Grigio Rosé, and a tasty red blend. The wines promise to be gluten-free, with no added sugar or flavor additives, and contain only 90 calories and 9% ABV per serving.

Bread & Butter Sliced, California, $16

“Our consumers are consciously making decisions to moderate their consumption and we want to be where our consumers are going,” says Patrick Cramb, vice president of global marketing for Bread & Butter Wines in a press release. Fans of Bread & Butter wines will no doubt appreciate the signature style of this alcohol-reduced Chardonnay, which is pretty darn close to the real thing, at only 9% ABV and 85 calories a serving.

Arlow Wines, California, $22

“Arlow is for someone who wants to have a glass of wine or two on a Tuesday night and not to worry about waking up with a hangover or affecting their sleep score,” says Joldersma. “For someone at a restaurant who wants to have a second glass of wine with their meal but knows they need to drive home.” Produced using proprietary methods to reduce alcohol levels to a very modest 6.5%, Arlow wines are bright and easy-drinking, with surprising flavor for such light wines. The branding is also eye-catching and fun, making them the perfect, conversation-starting selection to bring to a gathering. The line currently includes a Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Chateau Ste. Michelle LIGHT, Columbia Valley, Washington, $15

Chateau Ste. Michelle’s LIGHT wines use grapes sourced from some of Washington State’s cooler, top-quality appellations like Columbia Valley and the Horse Heaven Hills. “We are fortunate that Washington’s unique growing conditions allow grapes from select vineyards to reach full flavors at lower sugar levels,” says Katie Nelson, vice president of winemaking for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in a press release. “Grapes picked at naturally lower sugar levels produce less alcohol in the wines which helps us to achieve the lower 9% ABV with minimal alcohol adjustment after fermentation.” The line currently includes a Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, both of which are crushable, fun wines perfect for sipping solo or serving alongside something tasty, like a full spread of guilty pleasure snacks.