One of France’s top wine industry events is risking blowback from traditionalists by opening next year’s show to non-alcoholic wines, a growing sector of the market.
Wine Paris, to be held in February, announced last week that zero-percent wines and spirits would have their own dedicated space for the first time. The sector, called “Be No,” has already attracted 62 exhibitors “Wine Paris is the celebration of wine, whether with or without alcohol,” chief organizer Rodolphe Lameyse told a press conference.
He also said that given the trend of declining wine consumption, alcohol-free versions could be “one of the ways out of this crisis.” Worldwide, wine consumption in 2024 was the lowest in more than 60 years, while sales of low and no beverages are growing worldwide as well as in France, with no-alcohol wines available in more and more restaurants.
No-alcohol wines are produced by normal winemaking processes, followed by processes to remove the alcohol. Although the technology is constantly improving, the alcohol-removal process is seen by many traditionalists to erase fragile grape aromas, while the alcohol is also viewed as a foundational flavor.
