​​Stellenbosch University students under the supervision of Dr Hélène Nieuwoudt and Prof Chris Pentz impressed with their research on de-alcoholised wines at the Ultimate Beverage Show hosted by the Cape Town International Convention Centre last weekend.

The event, which showcased South Africa's finest locally produced small batch beverages, afforded visitors the opportunity to taste and purchase from a wide selection and to learn about the different techniques used in creating drinks and flavour combinations.

In a workshop entitled “Low, Lower, Zero: Unpacking de-alcoholised wines," South African Grape and Wine Research Institute (SAGWRI) Master's students Sinazo Qwebani and Lethabo Maesela expanded on their research on de-alcoholised still wines and sparkling wines respectively. Markus Filter, who recently completed his Master's degree in the Department of Business Management, elaborated on the consumer perspective in relation to de-alcoholised wines. Prof Pentz of the Department of Business Management is the co-supervisor of Qwebani and Maesela, along with Dr Nieuwoudt of SAGWRI. Pentz also supervised Filter.

Qwebani and Maesela presented case studies which investigated a set of commercially available de-alcoholised wines. These wines were selected at the beginning of 2020 and were judged in blind sensory tastings at nine wine cellars by a total of 52 industry experts, including executive managers, winemakers, brand managers and quality control managers.

Qwebani's case study focused on the sensory profiling of South African de-alcoholised still wines (non-sparkling), which involved checking the quality of the aroma, appearance, aroma, and palate.

Her study concluded that although South African de-alcoholised wines are “heading in the right direction, winemakers will still have to pay attention to the drivers of wine quality to improve where necessary".

Maesela's case study looked at de-alcoholised sparkling wine, which is produced from full-strength (alcohol content) base wine and then submitted to the de-alcoholisation process before carbonation and bottling.

“We don't have enough formal studies to focus on the sensory profiles of specifically South African de-alcoholised wines. So this study was focused on understanding that," she explained.

“The findings showed the following: for appearance there were no major concerns and most of the attributes cited by the panellists were positive. In terms of aroma the results were good and some not so good, with an average rate of 3.8 to 4.6 out of 7 points. The overall result for taste was between 4.8 and 6.1 out of 10 points, which is average. Several positive quality attributes were highlighted by the panels, although negative attributes like wines being thin-bodied, watery and lacking flavours were also identified. The wines that scored at the higher end had more positive attributes, such as freshness and balance."

She said the research offers useful information and tools that wine producers can use to make some informed improvements.

Filter said although lower and non-alcoholic beverages have been available for some time, there has been quite a rise in interest recently.

“This shift has been attributed to an increased focus on mental health and wellness and health in general."

However, he said there are still certain challenges which the industry needs to overcome to take advantage of this trend.

“Based on research there are four main potential challenges: taste, price, the stigma attached to not drinking alcohol and lack of awareness and availability."

Filter said products such as low- and non-alcoholised beer have been successful, but de-alcoholised wines have received far less attention.

“We need to look at the most appropriate market for de-alcoholised wines. As part of my study I looked at Generation Y consumers as they have been identified as one of the most attractive markets for de-alcoholised wine, because they are the largest part of the population and with a high purchasing power and they also have influence over the decisions of others.

“To get an understanding of how these consumers behave towards de-alcoholised wine, the study looked at three fundamental parts of consumer behaviour: emotions, preferences and perceptions. This information is very important for research design methodology."

Gustav Fouche, managing director of BevZero, a company that provides de-alcoholisation across wine, beer cider and spirits, also participated in the workshop with a talk that focused on the nitty and gritty of de-alcoholisation.

• Photo: F.l.t.r. are Mr Gustav Fouché​, BevZero MD; Dr Hélène Nieuwoudt of the South African Grape and Wine Research Institute (SAGWRI); Master’s students Lethabo Maesela and Sinazo Qwebani; Prof Chris Pentz of the Department of Business Management; and Markus Filter, who recently completed his Master's degree in that Department.