Low alcohol wines, the wineries’ strategy to attract the young public

In a year marked by the fall in consumption, wineries adapt to new consumer demands. A new trend is growing globally and is already taking its first steps in the country: wines with low alcohol content.

For now there are less than ten low alcohol labels on the market. One of the wineries that has been advancing with this is the Salta-based Amalaya, from the Colomé group, which launched the Amalaya Liviano, a white wine with 9% alcohol and fewer calories.

“Moderation in consumption is a trend that is on the rise, very present in the global market, but incipient in Argentina. This trend is driven by consumers who are more aware of health issues and concerned about lifestyle, something that is more noticeable in young consumers.. They are consumers who want to eat healthier, but not to the detriment of the quality of what they eat,” says Olivia Harguindey, Marketing Manager of the Colomé Group.

In that sense, he says that beer is already paving the way with the launch of non-alcoholic products, a variant that is already present in the main brands. “There is a direct correlation between the diversification of supply in the market and consumption patterns,” explains Harguindey.

For now, Amalaya Liviano will only be sold at the winery’s wine bar in Cafayate, Salta, and in the online store. This first harvest is 2,000 bottles. “There are few this time, we hope that next harvest we will have a larger volume. We are going to double the volume to reach 5,000 bottles.”

The Amalaya Liviano is a blend of torrontés and riesling. To achieve the low alcohol content, they harvested early, 15 to 20 days earlier than normal: the Riesling at the beginning of January and the Torrontés at the end of that month. The two varietals are vinified separately and there is no intervention after the wine is made to dealcoholize it.

In this case Amalaya Liviano has 9% alcohol and 65 kilocalories, while an average wine has 13% alcohol and 85 kilocalories.

“There are consumers in different markets who request this type of productsthose who drink alcohol are more aware of the need to drink in moderation“, reinforces Magdalena Pesce, CEO of Wines of Argentina. “We see these initiatives as something very positive: the demand in the world exists and we were losing a portion of the market. Millennials and Gen Z have been pushing the trend, but it’s more a matter of interest than age.”

Castel Conegliano is located in the Atlantic Mountains of Mar del Plata, a brand new wine region. From there they launched Prima Prova Glera Extra Brut: the first prosecco “argento” with 11.8% alcohol content.

“At Castel Conegliano we seek to make wines that are characterized by their freshness, lightness, and delicacy. That provide an experience, but are also easy to understand, and with low alcohol to be enjoyed with more versatility and in any situation or time of year“says Melina Chies, head of Product and Marketing at Castel Conegliano winery and member of the family.

Solito Va Wines and Coincidir Wines are new projects by winemaker Leandro Velázquez, from Mendoza. “The idea of ​​making this type of wine comes from looking for a lot of acidity, verticality and that they are easy to drink… We harvest early so we ensure very good acidity, and we obtain low alcoholbecause the amount of sugar is low at the time of harvest.” Coincider is a Chardonnay with 11% alcohol and Solito Va is a Semillon with 11%.

“Wine with soda was a pioneer in being able to drink more with less alcohol.“, says Sergio Villanueva, director of the Mendoza Wine Fund, “The new trends indicate that consumers are looking for products cold, have less alcohol and are sweeter“.

“This trend is also seen in sparkling wines, which a decade ago were almost all brut nature, they had no sugar, while today 50% of sales are products with sweet bases. “The industry is seeking to adapt to new tastes, to diverse, non-standardized consumers,” adds Villanueva.

“For wine it was a complicated year, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, at least in terms of exports. We see a trend that is consolidating, The expectations for 2025 are positive, things are falling into place. We have the risk of continuing to not achieve the competitiveness so desired due to the exchange rate, but the blend dollar remains positive overall,” adds Pesce.