“Distributors are starting to take de-alcoholised wine seriously”

he first ‘Degré Zéro’ exhibition on Sunday 11 February at the Paris Wine Museum in the 16th arrondissement of the city was fully subscribed with visitors less intent on discovering the museum’s collection of vine and wine artefacts than tasting de-alcoholised wines (the term alcohol-free is not legally recognised) in the cellars of the former Minim monastery in Passy. The maiden event organised by Break Events the day before Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris attracted large crowds into the confined space, with visitors having to queue outside. The mood ranged from pragmatism among the trade – with comments like, “Well, if that’s the trend…” – to curiosity, with some visitors questioning, “Is there such a thing as a good de-alcoholised wine?”

“The market and producers are ready, the catalyst is there”, claims Stéphane Brière, CEO of the Parisian consultancy and service company B&S Tech which specialises in de-alcoholisation. A civil engineer, Brière says, “The product now appeals. It was already available but didn’t interest anyone. Over the past few months, we have felt a surge in momentum. What happened with beer is going to happen with wine – the increase in quality products will fuel market development”.

His viewpoint is shared by Frédéric Chouquet-Stringer who runs Zenothèque, which, despite its French-sounding name is based in Germany. As a consultant and a distributor, he feels that “demand is increasing and supply is following, it grows in waves. [Inevitably] there will come a time when supply will outpace demand. It will increase in quality and that will create a market. The key issue is the improvement in aroma. It’s all about retrieving the aromas lost with the alcohol. It’s a manufacturing secret”. The same quality approach to aromatics is advocated by start-up company Moderato, which says that it recoups the aromas lost during the de-alcoholisation process for its ‘Révolutionnaire’ range with 0% ABV. The company also shares the same viewpoint as regards market development for its alcohol-free brand currently retailing in 900 sales outlets, including super/hypermarkets, wine merchants, export markets and the on-trade. “Distributors are starting to take de-alcoholised wine seriously”, claims Sébastien Thomas, co-founder of the Moderato brand which sold 100,000 bottles in 2023 and is aiming for 400,000 in 2024. He considers it is a response to market trends: “There is a loss of revenue in the wine department. If we want to stay in this space, then there is a new choice of products. Otherwise, you just sell fizzy drinks and mineral water”.