Whether for fiscal, lifestyle or health-related purposes, more and more adults are making the conscious choice to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption from their routines.
Almost comparable to the inquiries in taste differences between a regular food or beverage and its diet or low _____ equivalent, common inquiries to winemakers include, “does non-alcoholic wine taste the same as alcoholic wine?” and “is non-alcoholic wine just grape juice?”
We’re happy to answer.
Do Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Wines Taste the Same?
We can’t speak for other non-alcoholic wines, especially those that are vinegar-based or add sugar to make up for the lack of mouth-filling content that tries to replace the feeling of alcohol on one’s cheeks and tongue.
However, we can say that ONES’ variety of non-alcoholic sparkling wines taste like wine because they’re made from wine, we just removed the alcohol before packaging in bottles or cans!
Is Non-Alcoholic Wine Just Grape Juice?
No, non-alcoholic wine still wouldn’t be considered grape juice.
When making grape juice, producers are sticking to the flavour that comes by simply crushing the grapes, not to mention the sugar and carbonation often added later on.
Wine, including ONES, is made by not only crushing grapes but also fermenting them.
During fermentation, the grapes are placed into temperature and oxygen-controlled vats where yeast is then able to convert the natural grape sugars, specifically fructose and glucose, into alcohol and some carbon dioxide.
Although alcohol is commonly considered the main differentiator between grape juice and wine, fermentation is what truly sets them apart, including non-alcoholic wine.
How Non-Alcoholic Wine is Made
At ONES, we make our non-alcoholic wine the same way any other BC wine is made.
We start with select Okanagan grapes and a standard fermentation practice which converts the grape sugar into alcohol. Then, our wine goes through a post-fermentation process known as reverse osmosis. This is where wine is filtered to separate alcohol and water from the rest of the ingredients, all while retaining its flavour and natural, beneficial qualities.
This leaves you with a delicious de-alcoholized wine with a 0.5% ABV.
While a 0.5% ABV technically means ONES contains alcohol, it is metabolized by the body so quickly that it is legally non-alcoholic, so you can enjoy our wine and still stay sober!
We don’t call our product the only Okanagan wine without the buzz for nothing!
Plus, wine processing aside, ONES is also far from being juice as it is also carb and sugar-free. No weird preservatives either. We’re looking at you, sweeteners found in sugar-free juice!
What is in ONES Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine?
ONES non-alcoholic wine is made by removing the alcohol from premium Okanagan wine. The full list of ingredients is found on our nutritional panel. In addition to dealcoholized wine, there is carbon dioxide, tannic acid, grape skin extract, citric acid, tartaric acid, sulphites, and yeast extract.
Grape-wise, our non-alcoholic Sparkling Red is made of wine from Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Our non-alcoholic Sparkling Rosé on the other hand comes from grape varieties including Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Merlot and Syrah.
An added benefit of our grapes being grown in the Okanagan is that summers are hot, dry and paired with cool fall nights for balance. This results in the most flavourful, most ripe grapes possible.
Ready to Try Non-Alcoholic Wine?
Click here to shop online, or locate ONES at a retailer nearest you here.
