This week, Mind The Sip headed to the Barossa Valley to see something pretty incredible: the latest technology in wine dealcoholisation. Treasury Wine Estates has committed significant resources to this innovation, and after seeing it up close, it is clear why. This is a game-changing moment for the No/Low category.
Although this work is happening in Australia, it holds global significance. Innovations in dealcoholisation technology will impact No/Low wine offerings across markets including New Zealand, the United States and beyond.
Here are some of our biggest takeaways from the visit.
First, the winemakers. These are not people half-heartedly tinkering on the side. They are passionate, curious, and deeply invested in getting this right for the end consumer. They are running countless trials to bring depth, mouthfeel, and aroma back into dealcoholised wines, even experimenting with alternative preservatives, including compounds derived from mushrooms. It is a level of innovation that you do not often see, and it is happening with intention.
Next, the technology itself. The advancements in dealcoholisation are staggering. Winemakers can now extract the alcohol and repurpose that extraction in precise, reduced quantities to rebuild complexity and structure. This was impossible even a few years ago. It marks a turning point. No/Low wine is no longer “strip it out and hope for the best.” It is becoming a genuine craft.
And perhaps the biggest takeaway: for a major global wine company, the No/Low category is absolutely not a token tick-the-box exercise. Treasury Wine Estates is genuinely pushing for excellence. They are not treating this as a side project; they are leading the way.
The following day, our Founder, Ange Chappel, was invited as one of twelve voices at the launch of Treasury Wine Estates’ new paper, Toasting the Future. Ange contributed to the report and joined winemakers, ministers, policy regulators, consumer advocates, and researchers for a roundtable discussion that dug deep into innovation, regulation, possibility, and what consumers actually want.
It was a day of rich, thoughtful conversation and an acknowledgment that the No/Low space is maturing quickly. Not fringe. Not niche. A legitimate, growing category driven by strong consumer demand and backed by serious investment.
After spending time on the ground in the Barossa and inside that room, one thing is clear.
The future of No/Low is bright, and we look forward to being part of the wider industry momentum that Treasury Wine Estates is helping drive.