Whisper it – alcohol-free wine has arrived in France

In the vineyards of Bordeaux, the ineffable has become drinkable. Non-alcoholic wine arrived.

Yesterday's heresy is now – thanks to science and the economic crisis – today's opportunity.

Wineries that would burn their grapes rather than submit to such dishonor are now openly considering the alcohol-free bottle.

And developers are moving fast, creating wines that are consciously designed to get the most out of the dealcoholization process.

“When we started a few years ago, what we were doing was downright rubbish,” says Bordeaux oenologist Frédéric Brochet, who helped create the Moderato range of still wines.

“But we have made great progress. And today we are getting closer and closer to our goal. I think it will be a revolution in the world of wine.”

Bordeaux just saw the launch of its first ever cave – a wine shop – dedicated solely to non-alcoholic wines, reflecting a shift in perception that surprised many in the industry.

“We only opened four weeks ago and already we're getting winemakers from the area coming in and asking about the stills market,” says Alexandre Ketané, who owns Les Belles Grappes with his wife Anne.

“They don't know anything about how to do it, but they see it coming and they want to be a part of it.”

Several things happened to make the moment comfortable.

First of all, the French wine world is in deep trouble. Domestic consumption continues to fall and the Chinese market is not what it used to be. US President-elect Donald Trump threatens new tariffs. France's prized ancient vineyards are being uprooted.

Second, consumer habits are changing, especially among the young. Supermarkets now devote more space to beer than to wine. Most 20-somethings have never been in the habit of drinking wine—and they're also much more health-conscious than their elders.

The alcohol-free lifestyle is spreading. Currently, 10% of the French beer market is alcohol-free. In Spain it is 25%.

And thirdly, technology has improved dramatically.

In the past – and still today for the cheaper brands – the method was simply to boil off the alcohol and then add compensating flavors. The output – especially on the reds – is mediocre at best. Such drinks cannot even be called wine, but “drinks based on non-alcoholic wine”.

However, there are now new methods for low-temperature vacuum distillation and for “capturing” aromas to return back to the de-alcoholized wine. The result is wines that can legitimately be called wines and are beginning to gain traction among discerning consumers.

“With reds, you have to be prepared for an experience that won't be the same as traditional wine with alcohol. We can't pretend we can reproduce the full mouthfeel after all,” says Moderato's Fabien Marchand-Cassanet.

“But what you will get is a moment of real wine. Bouquet, tannins, fruit, balance – it's all there to be enjoyed.”

At the Clos De Bouard estate near Saint-Emilion, a third of sales now come from the château's two non-alcoholic brands – soon to be three. Owner Coralie de Bouard first glimpsed the possibilities when she was asked in 2019. to develop a non-alcoholic wine for the Qatari owners of PSG football club.

“My family didn't want to talk to me for a whole year, such was my 'betrayal.' And even today I get hate mail from growers who say I'm ruining the market,” she says.

“But now my father congratulates me and says I'm the locomotive on the wine train. And if we're surviving these hard times today, it's because we've shifted to the alcohol-free market.”

“It was very difficult for the purists to accept it,” says Bernard Rabui, a vintner at the Bordeaux Families cooperative.

“But we have to evolve. The fact is, customers are not where they used to be. So we have to go and get them or they will go somewhere else.''

Proponents of still wine make much of the idea that it allows non-drinkers – who have felt isolated – to join in on the wine banter. And it is true that the rituals of opening, sniffing, describing and comparing are now available to everyone.

“What we want to do is try to bring back the France of our youth – when everyone was sitting around the dinner table drinking wine and it was a real moment of sharing,” says Anne Cattané.

“And these days, the only way we're going to be able to do that is if still wines are part of the culture.”

“The idea that the world of wine has always been the way it is now is nonsense,” says oenologist Brochet.

“Things are evolving. Once upon a time, the barrel was an innovation. The cork was an innovation; grape varieties were an innovation. And now it's new—one that could help save the industry and the wonderful landscape and culture that go with it.

“As (poet) Paul Valeri said – what is tradition if not innovation that has succeeded?”