Low-alcohol wines used to be frowned upon by most wine drinkers, especially snobs, but now is low-alcohol wine a trendy alternative? The answer has to be yes, for several reasons. The sudden rise in interest in wines with less alcohol by volume (abv.) may be due to global warming, as well as a few other factors.
I hear you say, how come? Well, in the last 15 years, some wines have increased between 2% and 3% abv. meaning that a red wine that may have been 13% abv. it is now coming out at around 15% abv. This is a massive increase due to warmer weather allowing for higher levels of natural sugar. If these sugars are fully converted to alcohol to produce a bone-dry wine, then you’re in for a big hit: one or two glasses and you’re on the ground!
To counter the very high production of sugar, vineyards are producing grapes in high-altitude, cool-climate wine-growing areas such as New Zealand, Chile and Argentina. Producers in Germany are also providing popular low-alcohol versions of Rieslings to allow for lighter styles of summer white wine drinking.
What about the health benefits?
It is well known that there are health benefits to drinking wine in moderation, especially red wine. These benefits include:
- The ability to lower cholesterol within the body reducing the risk of blood clots.
- Being a source of antioxidants, which are responsible for cleaning most of the human system.
- Lower alcohol intake means fewer calories ingested, ideal for those managing weight.
It should be noted that to make use of these benefits of wine, a healthy lifestyle must be maintained.
However, while these proven health benefits exist, it is often overlooked that alcohol is not one of them. Alcohol damages the liver and nervous system, and overloads the body with unnecessary calories that can lead to depression. It is these calories that can be avoided by consuming low-alcohol wines.
Is there a future for low-alcohol wine?
Most people would be happy to drink lower-alcohol wines of certain varieties, as long as they tasted the same as regular wines. White wines would not be as full and flaccid as with higher alcohols, but more crisp and delicate with attractive light fruity citrus flavors.
Viticulture in cold climates is a way forward to produce fruit with less sugar and more acid, resulting in fresh and tangy wines, ideal for drinking in the summer or as an accompaniment to fish, chicken and spicy foods. A red wine with 11.5% vol. It wouldn’t seem as heavy as its 14% or 15% counterpart, but it would be just as tasty and drinkable without that knockout punch!
Be sensible, drink wisely.
Over the years, the size of the average wine glass has gotten bigger to accommodate enthusiastic customers and sell more wine! Drinking one large glass of a high-alcohol wine can be the same as consuming perhaps three glasses of a low-alcohol wine. It is not good for your health, much less for your pocket.
Perhaps now a low-alcohol wine really is a trendy alternative as well as being better for your health. By cutting back on alcohol you would be drastically reducing your calorie intake, so why not give it a try?