As of 1 January 2023, the sale of non-alcoholic organic wine bearing the EU organic label had been prohibited across the EU. Such products could only be marketed as conventional non-alcoholic wines. This was due to a regulatory change that brought the production of non-alcoholic wines under wine law, rather than food law.
The technique used to remove alcohol from the wine, vacuum distillation, was not previously permitted for organic wines. As a result, organic wine producers who used this method to dealcoholize the wine lost their organic certification. At a time when non-alcoholic wines are growing in popularity, this posed a significant competitive disadvantage for growers.
The EU has now addressed this issue by adding an amendment to the EU’s Organic Regulation. Vacuum distillation is now officially recognised as an approved method for dealcoholisation. This process removes alcohol under vacuum at low temperatures so that the aroma and character of the wine are largely preserved.
This decision is expected to give fresh momentum to organic viticulture. With the new regulation in force, organic wine producers can now participate in the growing non-alcoholic wine market without sacrificing their organic status. For consumers, it also provides assurance that alcohol-free wines bearing the organic label truly meet organic standards.