Page 27 - Food&Drink August 2022 magazine

TURNING FROM THE
OLD TO THE NEW Dealcoholisation of wine is not new, often used to find the “sweet spot” for a wine, but for a zero-alcohol wine like the Hardys ZERO range, Accolade looked to new technology that it had never used before.
used this sort of technology at Accolade Wines and we are thrilled with it,” Burnett says.
Another critical component of creating a NoLo wine is the need to bottle it quickly. A key directive from our global director of wine making was to ensure scheduling and packaging were
Burnett explains.
The result is the Hardys
ZERO range, featuring a Shiraz, Chardonnay, and Sparkling.
The &Then label will release its Rosé and Sparkling in Australia from September.
MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Similar to what is happening in the alternative protein market, consumers’ motivation with NoLo varies from abstention
to moderation.
IWSR said 43 per cent of
people who had bought NoLo beverages were doing so to substitute for full strength alcohol at certain occasions rather than abstaining. Less than one fifth (17 per cent) said they were drinking NoLo to avoid alcohol completely.
“We have produced zero alc wines that you talk about like you would a traditional wine. The &Then Cabernet is a good lunchtime wine. It has lovely tannin and a nice oak balance, whichgoeswellwithsteakor
Hardys ZERO winemaker Paul Burnett was determined to produce a flavoursome zero alc wine.
pasta – totally guilt free,” Burnett says.
Being a healthier alternative was always more than just removing the alcohol for Accolade. Ensuring the sugar level was “balanced and complementary, not cloying and dominating” was also key.
According to IWSR, evenings at home, with friends or at mealtimes, are the most popular times for NoLo drinks across all demographics.
Burnett says with many consumers wanting to reduce their alcohol intake, he is proud the team at Berri have produced a sessionable drop. From sceptic to advocate, Burnett is now proud to endorseaZEROalcoption. ✷
BEVERAGE PRODUCTION
“ Our team wanted to go back to the drawing board, find a wine they were proud of, go through the dealcoholisation process and then build it right back up to the packaging.”
“Instead of traditional spinning cone or falling film evaporation methods, we used a first-to-market go-lo technology we’ve called Zero Tech X, which gently dealcoholises the wine at a cooler temperature.
“It is done under vacuum and gives the team more options when it comes to blending, which is where the skill really comesin.It’sthefirsttimewe’ve
adjusted to account for the proclivity of the wines to oxidise unlike standard wines.
“It was a key driver for us when planning production for the range.
“Everything is scheduled around the dealcoholisation process, so the wine spends the least number of minutes out of the tank before into Zero Tech X andthenintothebottle,”
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www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | August 2022 | Food&Drink business | 27