Is It Possible to Have Non-Alcoholic Wine Without Sugar?

It’s hard to avoid sugar. It seems like it’s in everything, even the things you wouldn’t expect. So, it’s easy to understand why more and more people are looking for sugar-free alternatives to their favorite treats, like a bottle of wine.

If you’re going alcohol-free and looking for a non-alcoholic wine to accompany your sugar-free lifestyle, you might find it a bit hard to find what you’re looking for.

Can There Be a Non-Alcoholic Wine Without Sugar?

The short answer: Not really.

The longer answer? We need to get into the details of what exactly a non-alcoholic wine is.

Something labeled a non-alcoholic wine can fall into two very different categories. The first is actually a “wine” that was never fermented. We’re inclined to say this isn’t really a wine at all, since wine, at its core, is fermented grapes. In this case, the grapes are never allowed to ferment, which means that alcohol is never created.

However, there’s a growing movement toward de-alcoholized wine, which is the second and most prominent type of non-alcoholic wine. In this case, the grapes are allowed to ferment, which creates not only the alcohol but also the flavors and aromas you’d typically associate with wine. Then, the vintner uses a de-alcoholization process to remove the alcohol. 

There are different types of de-alcoholization processes, some more effective than others. For instance, BEAU VIVA uses vacuum distillation. Vacuum distillation has been shown to be one of the most effective techniques for de-alcoholizing wine, but another reason BEAU VIVA relies on this method is that it has also been shown to increase the concentration of essential components in wine, such as flavonoids. This process helps us preserve the aromas and flavors of the wine as it goes from being alcoholized to de-alcoholized.

However, de-alcoholization doesn’t remove sugar content. Grapes, naturally, have sugar, which is not lost in either the fermentation or the de-alcoholization process. As grapes ripen, photosynthesis breaks down the sucrose in the leaves into glucose and fructose. When grapes receive more sunlight, they ripen faster, which increases the sugar levels.

During fermentation, yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes, which produces ethanol and carbon dioxide. The yeast will either consume all the sugar or it’s eventually removed, which results in there still being sugar in the wine, which is called residual sugar. Due to this formula, it’s typically true that a wine high in residual sugar will have lower alcohol, while a wine low in residual sugar will have higher alcohol. 

The levels of naturally occurring sugar in the grapes are important in this calculation. A lot of naturally occurring sugar means both more opportunities for higher residual sugar after fermentation or higher alcohol content. You may see vintners using canopy management techniques to shade grapes from the sun to prevent a lot of naturally occurring sugar from accumulating in the grapes, particularly if they want a low- or no-sugar non-alcoholic wine.

A non-alcoholic wine that was never fermented or one that was de-alcoholized is generally going to have a little bit of sugar. In either case, the sugar starts from the grapes, and you always need grapes to make wine.

How Can Non-Alcoholic Wine Be Labeled Sugar-Free?

You might have seen a fully alcoholized wine or non-alcoholic wine labeled sugar-free, but how can that be the case if there’s typically residual sugar left over after the winemaking process is complete?

In the U.S., for something to be labeled sugar-free, it needs to have less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving. So, if you do see a wine with a sugar-free label, there’s most likely still some sugar in there, just less than 0.5 grams. For some reference, a SNICKERS fun-size candy bar has 9 grams of sugar.

Can You Have a Non-Alcoholic Wine That’s Low in Sugar?

This question has an easier answer: A resounding yes! 

In the case of a dry non-alcoholic wine, like BEAU VIVA, we rely on the grapes’ natural sugar. Throughout the fermentation and de-alcoholization process, we strive to preserve the wine’s natural flavors rather than supplement them with added sweetness. It’s for the same reason that we also don’t add any additional sweeteners. 

Go Low-Sugar and Alcohol-Free With BEAU VIVA

Leading a low-sugar lifestyle can be hard, especially when you’re also choosing to look for alcohol-free options. With BEAU VIVA, you get a non-alcoholic wine that’s truly alcohol-free, with a 0% ABV that lets everyone enjoy, and you get a low-calorie option that only uses natural sugar. Plus, BEAU VIVA is GMO-free and vegan, ensuring that everyone can celebrate without compromise.

Discover why low-sugar fans are embracing BEAU VIVA.