On February 5 we attended Barcelona Wine Week, and we confirmed that non-alcoholic wine is a growing trend, and a topic that is increasingly talked about. Although it still represents a very small percentage of total wine consumption (less than 1.5%), experts say that sales are growing year after year. With everything we learned at Wine Week, here are the reasons for the growth of alcohol-free wines.
At The Blue Dolphin Store, we have been promoting non-alcoholic wines since 2020 and we have the widest range in our online store.
Reasons for the growth of non-alcoholic wine
Healthy lifestyle and health care
In recent years there has been a change in consumer habits towards a healthier life. Consumers care about their health and are looking for healthy alternatives. Consequently, many people reduce alcohol consumption, as it has harmful effects on health. Non-alcoholic wines are a perfect alternative to have the most similar experience to traditional wines but avoiding the drawbacks of alcohol. Plus, they have fewer calories.
Young people drink less alcohol
Some studies show that Generation Z consumes less alcohol than previous generations. It seems that there is a change in the relationship with alcohol among young people, where alcohol is not as important and there is not much social pressure to drink it. The consumption of alcohol-free drinks is also growing among the millennial generation.
Montse Rosell, winemaker of Natureo non-alcoholic wines, explained at Barcelona Wine Week that, at the beginning, their alcohol-free wines were designed for clients who could not drink alcohol due to health reasons. However, now they have all types of customers, including young people and people who combine wines with non-alcoholic alternatives.
Growth of non-alcoholic wine offering
The more non-alcoholic wine options, the more demand grows as customer needs are met. As with traditional wines, consumers of 0% alcohol wine want variety to choose from. Now there are all kinds of alcohol-free wines from different types of grapes. On our website, you can find non-alcoholic white wines made with Chardonnay or Verdejo grapes. Among non-alcoholic red wines, the Merlot or Syrah grape is widely used. María Sevillano, Director of Sustainability at Win, told us that the grapes you choose to create non-alcoholic wine are very important and that some work better than others.
A market with a lot of potential
Daniel Mettyear, an expert at the consulting firm Wines & Spirit Research (IWSR), explains that the non-alcoholic wine category has just begun, and that it is far from achieving the market share of non-alcoholic beers. In Spain, the current quota of alcohol-free wines is 0.1%. In other countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, it is a little higher, 1.5%. Even so, it is a sector with a lot of potential, and it is expected to grow in the coming years.
All producers agree that creating non-alcoholic wines is much more complex than a non-alcoholic beer or alcohol-free spirit. The process is longer, and the technology is expensive. Even so, technological innovations are constant and there are non-alcoholic wines of better quality and flavor. Non-alcoholic rosé wines are trending, due to their slightly fruity and refreshing flavor, and non-alcoholic sparkling wines, are ideal for events and celebrations.
Alcohol-free alcohol wine trend at Barcelona Wine Week
Barcelona Wine Week is the benchmark Spanish wine fair. It brings together the largest wine offering, with more than 600 wineries and in 2024 broke audience records. We attend every year to talk to non-alcoholic wine producers and discover new products.
This year was held the round table “Alcohol in wine. New trends, audiences and opportunities” where the trend of non-alcoholic wine was discussed. We were lucky enough to listen to the representatives of Natureo (Torres Family), Win (Matarromea) and Disfrutand0,0 (Gil Family) who explained their experience and challenges in the non-alcoholic category. The conclusion is that this category is getting better every year, and a promising future is expected.
