Drink or Drive: the solutions from Tollo and Princess

LOW-ALCOHOL WINES GROWING IN THE MARKET, out of necessity only? Or a true cultural revolution?

Today we'll talk about a topic very close to the hearts of those who, like me, love wine and often have to deal with increasingly strict restrictions imposed by the highway code on blood alcohol levels.
Without getting into the merits of whether the legal limits are right or wrong, we'll explore some interesting developments in the world of winemaking.
Some wine producers are in fact trying to stem the decline in consumption caused by this factor, by offering a genuine evolution: alternative product lines with a lower ABV, alcoholic volume content, between 10 and 11% ABV, to meet consumer needs.

After enormous efforts the market is beginning to respond positively, also thanks to major advertising investments for the launch of a rather "unusual" enological product – something unthinkable until a few years ago – and one that from a quality standpoint often raises doubts.
In this regard there are several techniques for producing low-alcohol wines, and today we'll briefly mention some of them.
All are very difficult and demanding, beginning with vineyard management and carrying through to vinification.
In the vineyard, the approach goes somewhat against the grain of techniques typically used to obtain a quality product.
The choice of grape variety must be made among early-ripening varieties, with early harvests; the goal is to obtain grapes that are not particularly rich in sugars – achieved by acting early with longer pruning, reduced fertilisation, increased yield per plant, i.e. a whole series of operations aimed at the main goal.
In the cellar, de-alcoholisation techniques are applied. Authorised in 2009 by an EC Regulation, which introduced partial de-alcoholisation of wines as a permitted technique.
This is certainly the most reliable and preferred route for producers, as it is more controllable and well-tested.
The system is in fact already used when climatic conditions give grapes an excessively high sugar content, resulting in overly alcoholic wines.

Another frequently used technique is membrane reverse osmosis.
The wine mass undergoes fractionation and is partially separated from the alcohol; at this stage care must be taken not to also remove those components important for the wine's organoleptic profile, which is why ultra-modern and very costly machinery is used.
I would say that good wine can indeed be made at low alcohol content, provided all the necessary procedures are followed and everyone, from the farmer to the oenologist, works on the same wavelength with the same intent.
Particular curiosity was sparked at the last Vinitaly by Princess, the first company in Italy to produce dealcoholised "wine" at 0.0 alcohol content – which cannot in fact be called wine, but rather a dealcoholised wine-based aromatised non-alcoholic beverage, or more simply alcohol-free wine in other parts of the world – a truly interesting concept that appears to be hugely popular in Islamic countries where alcohol is banned.

On this note, an innovative idea came from Cantina Tollo with its Sei%, a very low-alcohol wine at 6% ABV. The technique involves partial fermentation of the must followed by cold pre-fermentative maceration and partial fermentation stopped at very low temperatures, soft pressing and sterile filtration. The wine ferments at a controlled temperature of 15°C and undergoes ageing in steel followed by bottle ageing.

Type: Rosso
Grape varieties: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 75% - Merlot 25%
Municipality of the vineyards: Tollo and Giuliano Teatino
Training system: Tendone
Harvest period: Second week of September
Alcohol content: 6% vol.
Vinification: Partially fermented must from red grapes
Fermentation temperature: 15°C
Ageing: stainless steel and bottle
Serving temperature: 8 - 10°C

We tasted it, of course, for you!
The wine presents a soft red colour with violet highlights.
On the nose, intense red fruit aromas: strawberry, cherry and woodland fruits, blackberries, blueberries.
On the palate, light, soft, fresh and fruity with a lovely liveliness.
It is an easy-drinking wine and very easy to pair – it goes beautifully with pizza, a sandwich or a plate of pasta, in short with a quick and uncomplicated meal, and excellent with aperitifs.
Speaking of aperitifs, these types of wine are increasingly being used as ingredients to create proper cocktails – the much-loved sparkling drinks – to be enjoyed with ease.

Due to climate change, restrictions on alcohol consumption and market demands, my feeling is that research and experimentation with these techniques will continue; in any case, what must never be lost sight of is the quality of the product – my advice is to drink yes, in moderation, but above all always and only quality.

Still better than non-alcoholic beer!