The festive season is upon us, but there are occasions when you want to enjoy the celebrations without the alcohol, hangovers or calories. Leading New Zealand Winery Giesen Group has answered the call, adding two new varieties to its popular alcohol-removed* range: a low-calorie, 0%-alcohol Pinot Gris and Rosé.
These two wines join Giesen’s delicious alcohol-removed New Zealand 0% Sauvignon Blanc, which sold out when it made its world-first debut in 2020.
“The sell-out launch of our Sauvignon Blanc showed us that wine lovers want choices within this emerging category,” says Giesen Group Chief Winemaker Duncan Shouler. “The Giesen 0% Rosé and Pinot Gris have both recently been released in New Zealand, selling out quickly on the Giesen online store. Both wines have been particularly well-received by wine lovers and those looking for a healthier alternative. We’re thrilled to see these wines now making their way to Australia, right on time for summer and beyond!”
Mindful Drinking: No-Alcohol and Low-Alcohol Alternatives
Indeed, the no-alcohol or low-alcohol (NOLO) movement is an undeniable global lifestyle trend towards moderation. There’s an increased focus on health and wellbeing, and more mindfulness when it comes to drinking. For example, we’ve all seen the ‘dry-month’ initiatives – Dry July, Sober October – and the trend to be more conscious about our drinking choices continues to gain momentum.
In fact, according to wine consumer research firm Wine Intelligence, 39% of regular wine drinkers globally claim to be reducing their alcohol intake. The figure for Australia is 46% across all ages and 56% of the 18-34 age group. So it’s no surprise that there’s a growing appetite and demand for this style of wine. A popular choice for many mums!
Plus, the range has 70-80% fewer calories than standard 12.5% alcohol wines, so these wines make great low-calorie options for those wanting to moderate their consumption while still enjoying a glass of wine – without the alcohol.
Giesen expects an increase in demand for the 0% range as Australian consumers come out of lockdown and head into the festive season. All three Giesen varietals are perfect go-to wines for reconnecting with friends and family, looking for healthy lifestyle options, or starting to think about New Year’s resolutions.
Great-Tasting Alcohol-Removed Wines
Wine lovers might question: Without the alcohol, does the wine taste as good? Giesen has invested more than $1 million in its own specialised spinning-cone technology to enhance the quality of the Giesen 0% range and ensure that its flavours closely resemble those of full-strength wine. In fact, the products start off as wines and then the alcohol is removed.
“To make Giesen 0%, we go through the additional process of putting our full-strength wine through spinning-cone distillation to gently remove the alcohol component,” Shouler says. “Having our own spinning cone also allows us to increase production levels to meet consumer demand and really helps drive quality.
It means we can experiment and continually improve our 0% alcohol wine offerings to meet consumer taste profiles. We’re seeing better and better alcohol-removed wines every time we produce them.”
In fact, the birth of the Giesen 0% range resulted from a company fitness challenge that included cutting out alcohol for a month. This gave the Giesen winemaking team motivation to pursue a 0% wine. “Our consumers are wanting choice to add to their wine repertoire, and with 40 years’ experience making great wine, we recognise we’re in a fantastic position to offer the next evolution for this segment of the market,” says Shouler.
Watch Duncan talk about the process of removing alcohol from the 0% range wines, as well as some more background on the range in this short video.
The Giesen 0% Pinot Gris is light and refreshing, with a beautiful balance of crispness and sweetness, with only 18 calories per 100ml glass. The 0% Rosé boasts delicious stone-fruit aromas of white peach, apple and fresh strawberries and only 13 calories per 100ml glass. Stay tuned also for a Giesen 0% Merlot, which will soon join the range in late December and bring a vibrant red wine to complete the popular selection.
To learn where you can find Giesen’s alcohol-removed Pinot Gris and Rosé near you, visit Where to buy Giesen Wines in Australia.
* Contains no more than 0.5% alcohol/volume. This is the same amount that naturally occurs in fruit juice and kombucha.
