Alcohol-free and low-alcohol wines can also be produced in Italy: decree presented
The draft illustrated by Minister Lollobrigida envisages production in non-DOC areas and the labelling of 'dealcoholised wine': it will be forbidden to increase the sugar content of the must and add water or flavourings to the product
3' min read
3' min read
Soon alcohol-free or low-alcohol wine will also be able to be produced in Italy. With the draft decree presented by Minister Lollobrigida to the wine industry, there is at last a hopefully definitive clarification on the front of alcohol-free wines.A fast-growing market, particularly abroad, but one with which Italian producers could not compete. Despite the fact that in Europe such products have already been regulated in Italy the current regulatory system prohibited calling a drink with an alcohol content below 8.5 degrees 'wine'. Therefore, the production of low or alcohol-free wines was hitherto impossible. The only chance Italian producers had to launch themselves into this market segment was to go and produce their 'NoLo' or 'no alcohol' or low alcohol wines, outside the national borders. Now instead the paradigm shift.
The pressure from the world of production over the past months has therefore managed to break through the resistance of part of the agricultural world in particular. On the other hand, de-coloured wines are already a reality in the EU's main competitors, Spain and France. Indeed, in France they have even been authorised for Aocs, or appellations of origin. In Italy they will continue to be banned in DOC areas, but they can be made and - above all - such drinks will be able to bear the words 'vino dealcolizzato' on the label.
Satisfaction was expressed by the Italian Wine Union, which has been in the front row since the beginning to ensure that such production can begin in Italy. "The draft illustrated today at Masaf," commented the UIV, "defines a clear and detailed framework capable of safeguarding product quality and consumer information. We are convinced that the introduction of these new product categories on the one hand can represent for the sector an alignment with European competitors 3 years after the publication of the EU regulation, and on the other hand offer new opportunities for the Italian wine sector, opening up to new markets and consumer targets complementary to the conventional ones".
The salient features of a Ministerial Decree that largely follows the lines drawn by EU regulations include the definition and classification of dealcoholised wines (alcoholic strength not exceeding 0.5%) and partially dealcoholised wines (alcoholic strength above 0.5% but below the minimum of the original category). Definitions, these, which will have to be stated on the new labels following the wine category.
De-alcoholisation, as already mentioned, will not be permitted for PDO and PGI products, and will have to be carried out exclusively by means of the processes established by the EU used individually or jointly according to the methods of partial vacuum evaporation, membrane techniques and distillation.
