The difference between no, low and mid strength wine explained

Skip the hangxiety tomorrow

Many non-alcoholic wines are made in the same way as alcoholic versions. Image: Getty

If you're endeavouring to cut back on how many drinks you down each week or have decided to give up the hard stuff altogether, consider this your guide to choosing a suitable alternative. 

First, it was beer. Now wines with less alcohol content are turning up on Aussie shelves as we choose to moderate year-round.

Recent research commissioned by DrinkWise found that more than one in three Australians have reduced their alcohol consumption and are using lower and no alcohol alternatives to do so.

But given we’ve now got a boggling amount of wine types to choose from - like low, no, zero, mid and more - what’s the real difference? Ahead we delve into the percentages. 

Like what you see? Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this.

Non-alcohol wine

Non-alcoholic, alcohol-free, and zero per cent alcohol are all wine products that do not contain any alcohol and are typically considered wines with less than 0.5 per cent alcohol by volume. Surprisingly, kombucha or orange juice can actually contain more alcohol. 

“To get a wine that is free from alcohol, but full of flavour, takes extra crafting,” says McGuigan chief winemaker, Jamie Saint. 

In terms of McGuigan’s process, non-alcoholic wines are made in the same way as the full-alcohol version.

“We use grapes grown and harvested on premium Australian vineyards. Winemakers then craft full-flavoured and aromatic wines specific for the non-alcohol wine programs that are processed using our innovative spinning cone column technology.”

In simple terms, spinning cone technology is a technique that lets winemakers keep all the wine’s good stuff (i.e. aromas and varietal characteristics), while gently removing the alcohol at low temperature. 

Melbourne company NON, on the other hand, is a non-alcoholic wine alternative with the aim of challenging the conventional notion that wine must contain alcohol to be classified as such. 

NON has been crafted to drink chilled in a wine glass - just without the booze. Image: Supplied

“NON goes beyond being a simple non-alcoholic wine and instead offers a unique approach to beverage creation,”  founder Aaron Trotman tells Body+Soul.

“Instead of attempting to mimic the traditional taste associated with wine, we deconstruct real produce and reconstruct them into authentic, delicious drinks – all without the presence of alcohol.”

Mid-alcohol wine

According to reports from the Brewers Association of Australia, mid-strength beer accounts for 25 per cent of the beer category. And while mid-strength beers have long been a staple at local sporting events (think XXXX Beer or Carlton Mid) mid-strength wine is a pretty new thing. 

Mid-alcohol wine, or what some are calling ‘boomer’ wine, is considered a wine with between five per cent to 10 per cent alcohol by volume and while the specifics vary, six per cent to eight per cent alcohol by volume is pretty standard.

“Anything less than 10 per cent generally fits. Mid-alcohol wine is made utilising the same unique spinning cone technology, as non-alcoholic and lower alcohol wines, but undergoes less of this alcohol extraction process,” says Saint. 

“Our Mid Black Label is an example, featuring the same full-bodied fruity flavour of the full-strength version just with 20 per cent fewer calories and alcohol.” 

Mid-alcohol wine is considered a wine with between five per cent to 10 per cent alcohol. Image: Getty

Lower-alcohol wine

Like mid-alcohol wine, this one really depends on who you ask when it comes to what counts as ‘lower’ alcohol. 

Lower alcohol wine is considered as a reduction on ‘full strength’ that is 10 per cent or lower in alcohol by volume. And you guessed it, the same deal applies with alcohol extraction, just stopping at the desired ABV - or alcohol by volume - per cent.

Some full-strength wines which are higher in sugars like riesling, for example, can naturally already sit around this 10 per cent alcohol, without extraction. 

Regardless of which tipple you pick, however, it’s worth subbing in one of the above if you are settling in for a few - you’ll be glad you did the next day.

Originally published as The difference between no, low and mid strength wine explained