Non-alcoholic enjoyment

Fun in a glass even without alcohol: the industry is booming

Young people in particular are opting for non-alcoholic enjoyment.

(Bild: Malena Brenek)

Who would have thought it? In the middle of carnival, a new trend is conquering the wine scene: red, white and rosé are suddenly being poured into glasses without alcohol. Nevertheless, there is a jubilant mood in the wine trade. 

A glass with a meal and a digestive schnapps afterwards - with 12 liters of pure alcohol per year and nose, Austria is in 6th place worldwide. Every 4th adult consumes an amount that is considered hazardous to health.

So it seems all the more surprising that wine, sparkling wine and even spirits without alcohol are experiencing a boom. "Customers are mixed. Younger people in particular are buying the non-alcoholic variants, but drivers, pregnant women and older people are also buying them, mostly out of curiosity," says sommelier Josef at the Wein&Co store in Vienna-Heiligenstadt.

The "Krone" put it to the test: alcohol-free wine is better than expected.

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

He sees the range as an interesting alternative. A year ago, the shelf with the alcohol-free bottles was only half the size. However, the production process is complex. This is because the alcohol is subsequently removed from the finished wine. This is done using techniques such as vacuum distillation or reverse osmosis. In the process, the alcohol evaporates or is filtered out. Flavorings are added so that the drink tastes as it did after fermentation.

For alcohol addicts, even small, even hidden amounts of alcohol can trigger a craving and thus a relapse.

Dr. Roland Mader, Ärztlicher Leiter Anton Proksch Institut

Bild: feelimage/Matern

Food retailers focus on alternatives
Spar already has 16 so-called still wines from Lower Austria, Styria and Burgenland in its range. They are all low in sugar. Who is buying them?

"People who don't always want to drink mineral water at lunchtime, for example, but also those who don't drink alcohol as a rule and are happy to have a glass of something to toast with friends," explains Spar board member Markus Kaser.

The shelves are full. While the non-alcoholic version of beer can hardly be distinguished from the original, Grüner Veltliner and the like still have room for improvement in the non-alcoholic version.

(Bild: Martina Münzer)

REWE is celebrating an increase of 35 percent in just one year with the non-alcoholic alternatives. While it is safe for pregnant women to drink, addiction experts warn that dry alcoholics should still keep their hands off it, even if the alcohol content is below 0.5 percent.

Pro: Is something wrong with you?
Are you ill or is there something else wrong with you? I've heard this phrase often enough when I've thankfully declined the wine accompaniment to a meal. The answer was quite simple: I just can't handle much, and I've never really liked wine, regardless of whether it's an elegant French, a round Italian or a lively local. 

I still find the question about the aperitif the weirdest. Fine, I'm already drunk before the meal - I think quietly. In this country, anyone who doesn't like to reach for a bottle or a glass is often viewed with suspicion or even suspected of being a party pooper - despite all the suffering that drunkenness causes. Alcohol is deeply rooted in our culture. 

Admittedly: Mineral and cola are not varied, but I am spared the hangover. In the meantime, society has become more tolerant. Wine and sparkling wine without booze are a change for the palate, allow you to drive without a guilty conscience, and the vintner's turnover is booming.

Contra: Grape juice in an identity crisis
Before health apostles and self-proclaimed addiction experts start whining, alcohol-free wine is a favorite anyway. Just like non-alcoholic beer. Or vodka. Or the many other creations that are slowly but surely threatening to suck the joy out of life. 

"Alcohol is a beast", my grandmother once blissfully chided me when I had once again emptied my glass. Thank you, grandma, we know. But that is no reason to send the grape varieties of this world - nurtured, cared for and cultivated to perfection over thousands of years - into an identity crisis. Real wine tells stories, alcohol-free "wine" gives boring lectures. It's like a Tinder date who looks like an adventurer but then only talks about taxes. Not with me! 

If I'm going to go dry, I'm going to do it properly. If I want to lose weight, I'll lose weight. But not in a fun way without a drink. And because it's the right time of year: Non-alcoholic wine is like a carnival party where you try to stay sober - a nice idea, but kind of pointless. 

Koßdorff (WKÖ, right) also sees potential for wine, sparkling wine and co.

(Bild: APA-PictureDesk/AMA/APA-Fotoservice/Schedl)

Alcohol-free beer has already arrived on the market.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/industrieblick - stock.adobe.com)

"Non-alcoholic wine and beer are niche markets, but they have potential!"
 In an interview with "Krone", food expert Katharina Koßdorff sees great potential for red-white-red products in Arabia and the Far East:

"Krone": Ms. Koßdorff, alcoholic beverages are on the decline - or are they?
Koßdorff: You can't put it quite like that. Non-alcoholic drinks are certainly a growth segment. At the moment, however, it really is still a niche market, but one that is naturally served by our companies.

Who and where are the customers for these products?
In Austria, primarily the young population. Older customers still prefer alcoholic beverages. But there is great potential abroad. Our business delegates report strong demand in the Far East and of course the Arab countries. There are sometimes religious reasons for this - or simply the fact that alcohol is not traditionally served with food there. 

How are domestic companies benefiting from this social development? 
For example, there are now almost no breweries that do not also offer non-alcoholic products. Soft drinks in particular, such as hop lemonades, are doing well on the market. Of course, local winegrowers and sparkling wine producers are also seeing this, and some of them have already ventured in this direction or developed it further.

What is the key to success with non-alcoholic products?
It is in the nature of things that the customer always decides in the end. The products have to be of high quality and taste good, then you will also be able to succeed with the large range on the drinks shelf. Demand in this area will certainly continue to rise.