Methods for producing low-alcohol wine II. Fermentation and post-fermentation strategies

Abstract

According to current legislation,wine is defined as thealcoholic beverage resulted from fermentation of grapes or grape must, withan ethanolconcentration of minimum8.5% (v/v).Climate change, modern viticultural practices and the use of selected yeaststrainsgradually lead to wines with increasedalcohol concentrations. Moreover, consumer demand is apparent for wines with lower ethanol levels, perceived as healthier.Since viticultural and pre-fermentation practices not always lead to high quality products, the aim of this paper was to provide technological data onthe currently available microbiological and post-fermentation practicesto produce low alcohol winefrom well-ripened grapes.However, the most efficient strategies involvesa compromise between ethanol removal, energy consumption and potential impact on wine composition.