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Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine: How It's Made and What It Can Do
Non-alcoholic sparkling wine is usually made from fully fermented wine, from which the alcohol is gently removed before carbon dioxide is added back in. Under EU law, it's labeled "dealcoholized" if no more than 0.5% vol remains. If the level is higher but still below the minimum alcohol content required for the category, it's considered "partially dealcoholized."
What Is Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine? The Rules Since 2021
For a long time, dealcoholized wine was barely regulated under EU wine law. That changed with Regulation (EU) 2021/2117, part of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, which amended the Common Market Organization Regulation 1308/2013. Since then, sparkling wine and quality sparkling wine may also be dealcoholized. The thresholds are clear: up to 0.5% vol alcohol, a product is called "dealcoholized"; above that but below the minimum value for its category, it's "partially dealcoholized."
On the front of many bottles, the label simply reads "non-alcoholic sparkling wine." The more precise designation appears elsewhere on the label, such as "dealcoholized sparkling wine with added carbon dioxide." This tells you that the bubbles didn't come from fermentation in the bottle. Be careful with terms like "0.0": non-alcoholic with up to 0.5% vol isn't the same as completely alcohol-free. Anyone who needs to avoid alcohol entirely, say during pregnancy or due to medication, should check the exact figure.
How Is Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine Made?
It all starts with an ordinary wine. It ferments just like any other, since fermentation is what creates many of the aromas that set wine apart from grape juice. Only afterward is the alcohol removed. Under EU law, only physical methods are permitted: partial vacuum evaporation, membrane filtration, and distillation. Chemical shortcuts or simply halting fermentation early do not produce dealcoholized wine.
In vacuum distillation, alcohol boils off at a low temperature under reduced pressure, so the wine is never actually cooked. Membrane processes such as reverse osmosis separate alcohol and water from the rest of the wine through fine filters. This causes volatile aromas to be lost along the way. Many wineries capture these aromas and add them back to the wine afterward. Finally, carbon dioxide is added, since a second fermentation would simply create more alcohol. For partially dealcoholized sparkling wine, a second fermentation remains permitted.
What Does Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine Taste Like – and Why Is It Often Sweeter?
Alcohol contributes more to wine than most people realize. It adds body, softens acidity, and helps carry aromatic compounds up out of the glass. Without it, a sparkling wine tends to feel leaner, the acidity stands out more, and the finish is shorter. Many producers compensate with added sweetness. That's why a lot of non-alcoholic sparkling wines taste noticeably sweeter than a Brut, even if the label suggests otherwise.
The mousse, or bubble structure, differs too. Added carbon dioxide doesn't integrate as finely as gas that has developed naturally over months of aging with the lees in the bottle. The bubbles tend to be larger and dissipate faster. Served well chilled in a white wine glass rather than a flute, the limited aromas come across better. Non-alcoholic sparkling wine usually has fewer calories than the regular kind, since alcohol is calorie-dense, though added sugar can offset some of that saving.
Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine by the Numbers
The market is growing. According to the German Sparkling Wine Producers Association (Verband Deutscher Sektkellereien), German producers sold around 19.1 million bottles of non-alcoholic alternatives between January and November 2025, up nine percent from the previous year. Over the same period, sales of classic sparkling wine came to around 203 million bottles, down 4.5 percent. The non-alcoholic segment is still small, but it's growing year after year.
Not everything that looks similar on the shelf is dealcoholized wine. Alongside it you'll find carbonated grape juice drinks that were never fermented at all. They taste fruity and sweet, but more like grapes than wine. Other blends combine dealcoholized wine with tea, juice, or added flavorings. Anyone who wants to know exactly what's in the bottle should check the designation and the ingredient list, which has been mandatory for wine since December 2023.
Whether non-alcoholic sparkling wine tastes good depends heavily on the base wine. Aromatic grape varieties like Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, or Riesling bring enough natural aroma that plenty remains even after the alcohol is removed. Neutral base wines, by contrast, can quickly taste thin and empty. Some producers blend several varieties for this reason, or turn to rosé, whose berry fruit does a better job of masking the missing body. It's worth comparing several bottles, since the differences here are bigger than among classic sparkling wines.