NABI News Release (2022-1) – July 13, 202
NABI Shares Views in Italian Press on the Expanding “No and Low Alcohol Wines” in the
United States for European Wine Industry
“Multiple uses for different occasions by different generations” said NABI President Robert M.
Tobiassen in describing the drive underlying the increasing consumer demand for no and low
alcohol wines in the recent edition of IL CORREIRE VINICOLA (Wine World Magazine)
published in Milan, Italy.
Consumers in the United States are looking for the next new drink, thinking about their own
wellness, especially after more than two years of COVID health risks, and, very significantly,
consumers of all ages are expanding the diverse range of beverage alcohol products they select
for an occasion. Maybe your appetizer drink is a beer, then wine with your meal, and finally a
brandy, cognac, cordial, or liqueur after dessert. For watching a sporting event, it is beer while
attending a theatre performance it is a glass of wine. Tobiassen wrote: “No-alcohol wines,
beers, and distilled spirits are part of this diverse range of products that today’s consumers are
seeking. While most consumers looking for a no-alcohol product will think first about beer, no-
alcohol wine is clearly an expanding market.” Reportedly, in 2021, the internet searches for
“non-alcoholic” products rose by 10 percent compared to 2020.
Multiple generations of consumers have different interests for selecting no-alcohol wines.
Generations X and Z along with Millennials have a wellness focus, whereas “baby boomers” of
the older and senior generation are looking to reduce their alcohol consumption because of the
onset of certain health conditions or simply a desire to drink less alcohol and party less. One
sales manager of a very large wine retailer with a nationwide presence told Tobiassen that he
estimates that 90 percent of his sales of no-alcohol wines are to consumers aged 60 years and
older.
Occasions call for specific uses of these products. A baby shower party for an expecting mother
will frequently want a no-alcohol wine for all to share in the celebration. A high school
graduation party with many 18-year-old students want a no-alcohol sparkling wine to celebrate
and not a sparkling apple cider or pear perry,
The U.S. marketplace offers consumers no-alcohol wines produced domestically as well as
imported from France, Germany, Spain, and South Africa, among other countries.
Even though popular and increasing in popularity, no-alcohol wines still represent a very small
portion of the wine marketplace. Very large retailers may offer four to six different brand names
at most on their shelves. And in many stores, these products are on the shelves next to non-
alcoholic mixers and not with the standard wines. Several retailers told Tobiassen that they sell
approximately two 9-lters cases every five weeks.
The available of retail outlets for no-alcohol wines will expand in most States because no-
alcohol wines are subject to less regulatory controls than beverage alcohol brands. One distiller
producing a no-alcohol spirit said “Non-alcoholic products are now appearing in a number of
specialty retailers outside of conventional drinks channels as well, such as fashion retailers,
coffee bars, and even gyms.”
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The full edition has articles from experts in UK, Germany, France, Scandinavia and Japan.