Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) on Tuesday opened a new $15 million (£11.9m) in-house facility dedicated to producing wine that’s lower in alcohol, or has no alcohol.
The opening of the facility bolsters the technology credentials of TWE’s site in South Australia’s Barossa Valley following its $165 million luxury winemaking expansion in 2022.
More than two years in the making, the new facility features state-of-the-art dealcoholisation technology, complemented by world-first patent pending processes for treating the aromatic component of wine that locks in flavour. It houses customised, exclusive equipment alongside proprietary processes that delicately process the wine’s extracted essence as part of the dealcoholisation process, allowing winemakers to protect the components responsible for the wine’s flavour and fragrance.
The company said the system has been designed to overcome challenges with existing processes for removing alcohol from wine that change its chemistry and impact richness, body and ‘mouthfeel’.
“This world-leading facility cements our position as a global pioneer in winemaking,” Kerrin Petty, TWE chief supply and sustainability officer, commented.
“This state-of-the-art technology and proprietary process for de-alcoholisation is our latest step in building a hub of innovation, technology and sustainability in the Barossa Valley, where we’ve been crafting wine to delight consumers for more than a century.”
General manager of sales & marketing for TWE’s global premium division Sarah Parkes, TWE Group winemaker Toby Barlow and chief supply & sustainability officer Kerrin Petty with the low/no alcohol variants of 19 Crimes, Pepperjack and Squealing Pig wines at the Barossa Valley NoLo facility.
The facility will produce the next generation of low and no alcohol wines for brands in TWE’s global portfolio including Squealing Pig and Pepperjack, which will complement other low and no alcohol offerings in the Matua, 19 Crimes, Lindeman’s, and Wolf Blass brands.
Research from IWSR, the global authority on beverage alcohol data and intelligence, forecasts a 5 per cent compound annual growth rate for the no and low alcohol wine market between 2024 and 2028. Data shows that 50 per cent of wine drinkers are reducing their alcohol intake, but taste continues to be the biggest barrier to purchasing wine that’s lower in alcohol.
TWE was early pioneers in the no and low alcohol category, introducing a range of Seppelt low-alcohol wines in 1993. TWE Group winemaker Toby Barlow said bringing the de-alcoholisation process in-house will improve the quality of no and low alcohol wines, giving consumers more choice while reflecting the character of the grape varietals.
“The complex interaction of aromas and flavours that reflect people and place is part of the joy of wine,” Barlow said. “Blending our winemaking credentials with customised technology helps us create great-tasting wine that has less alcohol, or none at all. We’re creating products and consumer experiences that we know wine lovers all over the world are looking for.”
Sarah Parkes, general manager of sales and marketing for TWE’s global premium division, said the expansion of its no and low alcohol range reflected the growing popularity of the category.
“Flavour has historically been a barrier for wine drinkers exploring a no or low alcohol alternative – this technology has helped us solve the flavour puzzle, and it’s had outstanding feedback from consumers so far,” Parkes noted.
“With award-winning low and no alcohol wines already under our belt, we’re looking forward to sharing this next generation of great-tasting wines with consumers from next month.”
