Non-alcoholic wines or shall we rather refer to it as grape juice? Wine, by definition, is the fermented juice of the grape, vitis vinifera. When it ferments, alcohol is formed naturally by the reaction between yeast and sugars. By this definition, a non-alcoholic wine would not be a wine at all. Alcohol acts as a preservative, which is why wine can be kept for years in the bottle without spoiling.

For those who don’t want to drink alcohol, there are a couple of options on the South African market.

Almost Zero

Made by Van Loveren, Almost Zero is crafted from Sauvignon blanc wine with the alcohol removed.

The crispy white has less than 0.5% alcohol – the same as the alcohol-free beers on the market. Better yet, it has 75% less kilojoules than a normal glass of wine. Now, you can enjoy a glass of vino, literally to your heart’s content and without the worry.

Lautus Savvy White

Lautus Savvy White is South Africa’s very first de-alcoholised wine, crafted like no other and with a single goal in mind: to deliver the best of the grape in the healthiest possible way. The wine is made traditionally with an additional phase right before bottling, when a special spinning technique removes the booze without eliminating all of Nature’s goodness. A Lautus Savvy Red is also available.