What Is Low Alcohol Wine? (8 Best Wines To Sip in 2024)

Want to enjoy your favorite wine without having to worry about the alcohol content?You should try out a bottle of low alcohol wine - a healthier pour that doesn’t compromise on flavor! 

All you need to know is which wine styles, varietals, and brands to choose. Let’s look at what low alcohol wine means, how it’s made, and some delicious bottles you can try with friends today.

What Is Low Alcohol Wine?

Low alcohol wine is what it says - wines with a lower alcohol percentage or ABV (alcohol by volume.) 

While there is no official cut-off that puts low alcohol wine in its own wine category - these wines typically have a 6% - 11% ABV. 

Compared to a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (12.5% - 14.5% ABV), this slight drop would make a difference to you the next morning after a night of wine tasting!

The best part - the drop in alcohol content or ABV won’t affect the delectable flavors found in your favorite style of wine. 

Additionally, low alcohol wines have a more delicate flavor profile - so pairing them with your favorite dish is as easy as enjoying your wine. 

Let’s take a look at some delicious low alcohol wines you could try at your next wine tasting event. 

8 Delicious Low Alcohol Wines For You To Try 

Here is a list of eight outstanding low alcohol wines for you to try: 

• 2016 Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett
• 2016 Nathan Kendall 'Nathan K.' Pinot Noir
• 2017 Broc Cellars Valdiguie Petillant
• 2013 Torres Vina Esmeralda
• 2019 Forrest The Doctors' Pinot Noir
• 2018 Vietti Cascinetta
• 2019 Giesen 'Pure Light' Sauvignon Blanc
• 2012 Broadbent Vinho Verde

1. 2016 Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany: $55

This German Riesling with a 7.5% ABV has a gorgeous aroma of peach, melon, and mango. This wine offers up loads of nectarine and crisp yellow peach notes highlighted by the acidity on the palate. 

2. 2016 Nathan Kendall 'Nathan K.' Pinot Noir, Finger Lakes, USA: $44

This Pinot Noir opens up with a mix of aromas, including rose, ripe red berries, orange rind, and forest floor backed with hints of earth and spice. This oak-aged wine has flavors of ripe cranberry, strawberries, and acidity that lead you to a delicate finish on the palate. 

3. 2017 Broc Cellars Valdiguie Petillant, Mendocino, USA: $33

This rose-colored wine has gorgeous notes of strawberry, rhubarb, and red apple skin. This effervescent wine has a rich minerality on the palate, which makes it the perfect glass for a summer soiree.

4. 2013 Torres Vina Esmeralda, Penedes, Spain: $26

The nose of this Spanish white wine has a lovely aroma of buttered rye toast. This wine has 11% alcohol and is a blend of Gewurztraminer and Muscat and gorgeous notes of icing sugar, roses, and dried apples. 

5. 2019 Forrest The Doctors' Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand: $21

This Pinot Noir from the eponymous New Zealand winery, opens up with aromas of strawberry, raspberry, cherry, with subtle hints of violets. On the palate, it has lovely tasting notes of plum, dark fruit cake, and spice. It has an ABV of 9.5%.

6. 2018 Vietti Cascinetta, Moscato d'Asti DOCG, Italy: $19

A bottle of the 2018 Moscato d’Asti (ABV 5%) opens with intense aromas of rose petals, peaches, and ginger. This sweet sparkling wine has good complexity, balanced acidity, with notes of fresh apricots on the finish. 

7. 2019 Giesen 'Pure Light' Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand: $12

This gorgeous Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (with a 9% ABV) opens up with a stunning bouquet of pineapple and citrus. The palate of this white wine is packed with enchanting flavors of guava and passionfruit and has a delicate sweetness on the finish from the residual sugar. 

8. 2012 Broadbent Vinho Verde, Portugal: $11

This straw-colored wine opens up with a stunning aroma of lemon and green apple. This light-bodied wine has only 9% ABV and is incredibly crisp on the palate. The bright and fruity flavors make it the perfect wine for a summer brunch.

Is Drinking Low Alcohol Wine Better for Your Health?

Enjoying a bottle of reduced alcohol wine will undoubtedly slow down the rise in blood alcohol concentration. 

This doesn’t mean that low-alcohol wine is necessarily better for your health - it just means you will be consuming less alcohol per serving.

It does mean that you can drink more of your wine without worrying about getting too tipsy quickly and the morning after. 

Let’s find out how winemakers achieve the low alcohol content in their wines without compromising the flavors. 

How Low Alcohol Wines Are Made

The winemaker determines the final ABV of a finished wine during the fermentation stage of the winemaking process. 

The ABV of the finished wine can be determined by the amount of sugar in the wine during fermentation. If there is a high sugar level during the fermentation, the wine will potentially have a high alcohol level.

Sugar levels are determined at the time of harvest, and the grape’s sugar depicts the potential strength of the wine. 

The climate, altitude, and grape variety all determine the sugar content of a grape. Grape varieties that are harvested in moderate and cooler climates have lower sugar levels. 

The yeast added during the fermentation stage causes a chemical reaction that converts the sugar in the grape juice to carbon dioxide and ethanol, producing alcohol. 

For the finished wine to have a lower alcohol percentage, the fermentation is stopped before all the sugar is consumed.

Some winemakers use a process called “reverse osmosis” to remove alcohol from the finished wine chemically - this process is also used to make alcohol free wine.

Want to find the right low alcohol wine for your taste?

How To Choose a Low Alcohol Wine

The obvious way to find a wine with a lower alcohol percentage is by checking the ABV on the wine bottle. 

But, instead of studying hundreds of wine labels to find the right one, narrow down your search by getting to know the grape varieties which naturally produce low alcohol wines. 

• Riesling: One of the most well-known low alcohol wine grape varietals, Riesling wines range from 9% - 11% ABV. This food-friendly wine comes with a wide variety of flavors. 

• Vinho Verde: Wines from the Vinho Verde SOP are produced from grapes that don’t get super ripe, which means low sugar content. 

• French Gamay: This cool climate wine has less sugar than most red wine varietals. Gamay is known for its elevated acidity, low tannin structure, and light body.

• Moscato: These sweet wines are known for their low ABV and are perfect for a guilt-free nightcap with friends. 

If you are looking for something with a little more alcohol content - here are some options:

• Medium alcohol wines (12.5% - 13.5% ABV): Here is where you will find a lot of popular roses, white wines, and some dry red wines such as Chianti, Sauvignon Blanc, Champagne, and cool climate Pinot Noir. 

• Medium-high alcohol wines (13.5% - 14.5% ABV): These wines have bolder flavors of dark fruit and savory notes and include wines such as Barolo, Syrah, Chardonnay, and warm climate Pinot Noir.

• High alcohol wines (14.5% ABV and more): These higher alcohol wines usually include different kinds of fortified wine - and ones to watch out for if you want to lower your alcohol intake. These include Port, Shiraz, Marsala, Sherry, and Californian Zinfandel. 

Add A Low Alcohol Wine To Your Fine Wine Collection!

This wellness-centric trend of enjoying a lower alcohol wine is a promising one. Much to the relief of wine drinkers, these flavour filled wines are readily available too.

However, if you are a wine drinker who enjoys investing in the rarer investment-grade wines, you need to have a reputable wine investment company on your side.

Vinovestis an online wine investment company that can help you find, buy, store, and sell the best investment wines from around the world.