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Alcohol-free Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc launches in UK
The first alcohol-free Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is launching in the UK to tap into a growing demand for de-alcoholised drinks.
Called Ara Zero, the wine hails from New Zealand’s Ara Wines, and is now available for the UK off-trade via Bibendum Wine, with an RRP of £8.
Using Spinning Cone technology, the alcohol in a standard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is removed, leaving little more than a trace, with the brand promising that the wine contains no more than 0.5% alcohol/volume, which it says is a level similar to natural fruit juice.
Over the last two decades, Ara Wines noted that a ‘sober-curious’ trend has emerged as people swap full-strength wine, beer and spirits for low or no-alcohol counterparts.
This development is expected to continue to rise, with the European Zero Alcohol Drinks 2019 Report predicting European sales to grow 10% each year over the next five years with the UK seeing the highest growth at 30% per year.
Currently the country’s top wine export, Sauvignon Blanc made up 86%, or an estimated NZD$1.5 billion, of the total wine exports in 2019
While there have been growing numbers of alcohol-free wines in recent months, Ara Zero Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is the first from New Zealand’s most famous wine-producing region.
The £8 price-point is higher than other alcohol-free counterparts, which Ara Wines said reflected not only the premium quality of the fruit but also the rigorous production standards.
The Ara Zero Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc goes through the exact same winemaking process as the full-strength variety, before the alcohol is removed via an advanced form of distillation, which the brand owner said produces something that is “varietally expressive”, but “lighter than its full-strength counterpart.”
Chief winemaker Duncan Shouler recorded that the spinning cone technology – which is widely employed in the scent industry – gently separates the fragrance and alcohol from the wine.
Once the alcohol is removed, the distinctive distilled aroma of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is added back into the wine.
Shouler said: “From the rise of mindful drinking to people looking for a lighter, refreshing drink in the evening after an exercise class, the low and no-alcohol trend is on the cusp of mainstream.”
He added, “We were inspired to create a 0%* alcohol wine after a fitness challenge at the winery. It involved changing your lifestyle; no alcohol for a month, decreased sugar, increased exercise and less time on screens. Cutting out alcohol was hard for me, being a winemaker and being around wine for a long time.”
Continuing, he said, “To be able to bring Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc lovers around the world a 0%* version of their favourite varietal is huge.”
Concluding, he said, “An added bonus is that Ara Zero Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is low in calories, with a 125ml glass containing 80% fewer calories than a full-strength wine.”
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