Non-alcoholic wine? I prefer wine with lower alcohol

We do not produce non-alcoholic wine. I believe that natural wines with a lower alcohol content, which retain their character, origin and authenticity, are the better option.

In recent years, it has been experiencing non-alcoholic wine a huge surge in popularity. It’s appearing in restaurants, wine shops and supermarkets, and more and more people are seeking it out as an alternative to traditional wine. I’m often asked why we aren’t going down this route as well in Vinařství Fučík.

My answer is simple. It’s not that I reject innovation or new technologies. Quite the opposite. Throughout my career in winemaking, I’ve been constantly seeking ways to produce better wines. When it comes to non-alcoholic wine, however, I feel that the most important thing is being lost – its naturalness.

How is non-alcoholic wine made?

Many people think that non-alcoholic wine is produced without alcohol right from the start. In fact, conventional wine is produced first, and only then is the alcohol removed using a specialised process.

The three most commonly used methods are:

Vacuum distillation

The wine is heated in a vacuum, which causes the alcohol to evaporate at a lower temperature. However, some of the aromatic compounds that are important for the wine’s final character may also be lost along with the alcohol.

Spinning Cone Column

A modern technique in which the aroma is first separated, the alcohol is then removed, and finally the aromatic components are returned to the wine.

Reverse osmosis

A special membrane filtration process separates the wine into its individual components. The alcohol is removed and the other components are then recombined.

From a technological point of view, these processes are fascinating and demonstrate how far the food industry has come today.

Why we do not produce non-alcoholic wine at Vinařství Fučík

It is precisely here, however, that my journey with non-alcoholic wine takes a different turn.

For me, wine is the result of work in the vineyard, the weather, the soil, time and the winemaker’s decisions. It is a product created through natural fermentation and embodies the character of a specific place and vintage.

When the finished wine is broken down into its individual components, the alcohol is removed and then everything is put back together again; that is no longer a process that aligns with my view of winemaking.

Technologically speaking? Yes, I admire it.

Naturally? Not by a long shot.

That is why, in Vinařství Fučík decided that We will not be producing non-alcoholic wine.

I consider wines with a lower alcohol content to be the better option

That doesn’t mean, however, that everyone has to drink wines with a high alcohol content.

On the contrary. Personally, I’m very fond of wines that naturally have an alcohol content of around 11 per cent. Such wines used to be commonplace at the winery for many generations and, in my opinion, they have a number of advantages.

Thanks to the earlier grape harvest, they retain:

• freshness and lively acidity,
• lower alcohol content,
• excellent drinkability,
• elegance and lightness,
• authentic varietal character.

We don’t need to remove anything from them or make any complicated adjustments. They come about naturally and are exactly as they should be.

The future of wine, in my opinion

I am convinced that the trend for non-alcoholic wines will continue to grow. Every consumer has the right to choose the style that suits them.

In Vinařství Fučík However, we believe that the future of high-quality Morava wine does not lie in removing alcohol from the finished wine, but in producing balanced, fresh and natural wines with a reasonable alcohol content.

In my view, it is precisely these wines that retain their authenticity, the character of their place of origin and the winemaker’s true style.

And it is precisely these wines that I stand by.

Petr Fučík

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