Is Dealcoholized Wine Completely Alcohol-Free?
Read any wine industry media these days and you'll surely find a story analyzing changing consumer trends, one of which is drinking less alcohol. In response to this phenomenon, many producers are rolling out low- and non-alcoholic options for their products, often with confusing labels and terms that make it difficult to understand the booze content. One of these terms is "dealcoholized." What does this even mean, and can you be assured that a wine with this wording is completely alcohol-free?
In short, no. "Dealcoholized" refers to a wine that has gone entirely through the winemaking process and is then taken through another process (usually reverse osmosis or vacuum distillation) to remove the alcohol from the wine. The thing is, the liquid is not left alcohol-free. Dealcoholized drinks can (and usually do) have trace amounts of alcohol, up to 0.5% alcohol by volume. So even the best non-alcoholic wine still has some alcohol, although it is significantly reduced. Those looking to avoid alcohol altogether need to know the difference between this and similar terms to be sure they know what they're consuming. The United States Food and Drug Administration has attempted to resolve the confusion.
What to know when shopping for dealcoholized wine
Here's where it gets technical. U.S. producers must display the term dealcoholized (also shown as "alcohol removed") on their labels. For example, "dealcoholized merlot" has to be shown with the statement, "contains less than 0.5% ABV." The term non-alcoholic can also be listed since it's a widely recognized descriptor. But, if the wine is dealcoholized, labels must show the word and ABV phrase so consumers know the wine is not alcohol-free. According to the FDA, only zero-alcohol wines can use the term "alcohol-free."
Alcohol-free and dealcoholized wines are not the same, although a wine with less than 0.5% ABV is, in effect, no different than many consumer products that we don't think of as alcoholic. Take kombucha: Due to its fermentation, it can contain up to 0.5% ABV. The same goes for ginger beer and kimchi. For those strictly avoiding alcohol altogether, the best way is to check the labels carefully. A final tip: Even ordinary, everyday products, including rye bread, ripe fruit, and some yogurts, can legally contain up to 0.5% ABV (a very ripe banana contains an average of 0.4% ABV!). To strictly comply with zero alcohol, it's important to research and stay informed.