De-alcoholized Wine

Ever hear of de-alcoholized wine? It’s one in which the alcohol has been removed. Two methods exist for achieving this. The first is by reverse osmosis called the Ariel Process. Here wine flows along a membrane that separates it into a syrupy concentrate of alcohol and water. Repeated many times, water is reintroduced to the wine to create the finished product. The second method is the Billabong Process where a spinning cone column reduces the ethanol content. Done several times, the first separates the aroma compounds and the second removes the alcohol. In both cases, the finished wine, although quite different, is alcohol free. As far as taste goes, it’s a far cry from the original.