A Low-Alcohol Love Story

Fatih had almost learned everything there was to know about winemaking in his newly established winery. But there was one issue that still puzzled him: producing low-alcohol wine. With healthy living trends, consumer preferences, fermentation challenges, findings suggesting that low-alcohol aromatic wines can show better quality, and the balance of low-acid wines, this matter had turned into a complete riddle. On one hand, he wanted to reduce the alcohol, but on the other, he was trying to maintain the sensory quality of the wine.

One day, a researcher named Sandra came to Fatih’s winery. Sandra was working on low-alcohol wine production and claimed to have a better method than the solutions Fatih had encountered so far. Fatih found her assertive approach both impressive and, in a way, a little envious.

Their first meeting started with a technical discussion. Sandra said: “Look, by removing leaves in the vineyard, you can reduce the vine’s photosynthesis activity. If you reduce the leaf area during fruit set, sugar accumulation in the grapes will decrease.” Fatih raised an eyebrow and asked: “What about aromatic and phenolic ripeness? Won’t that compromise the wine’s quality?” Sandra winked. “Then we’ll look into other methods. We could add water, but I’m sure you won’t like that.” Fatih smiled slightly. “I definitely won’t. Diluting wine’s quality? Never!”

During their exchange, Sandra’s suggestions about physical methods started to intrigue Fatih. Fermentation in open-top wine tanks, evaporating alcohol at high temperatures, and even distilling a portion of the wine to remove alcohol and then blending it back… All of these seemed both practical and creative. Then, suddenly, Fatih stood up from his seat, looked into Sandra’s eyes, and said, “Why don’t we focus on microorganisms?” This topic excited them both.

“Playing with microorganisms is a great idea,” said Sandra. “We should find a yeast strain that produces low alcohol while increasing glycerol, producing acidity, and even converting some of the sugar into energy. Plus, it could offer an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution.” (Non-Saccharomyces strains). Fatih asked with a teasing tone: “And do these magical microorganisms also know how to dance?”

As the technical discussions continued, they grew closer. Fatih began to enjoy Sandra’s enthusiasm and knowledge. Sandra, on the other hand, found herself admiring Fatih’s passion for winemaking.

One day, during fermentation, one of the wine tanks started to overflow. Foam spread everywhere, and Sandra panicked, calling Fatih. “Fatih! The tank’s going to explode!” Fatih looked at the situation and laughed out loud. “Don’t worry, it’s just the microorganisms having a party!”

Eventually, with Fatih’s chosen methods, they succeeded in creating a low-alcohol yet high-quality wine. It was aromatic, balanced, and exactly what they had hoped for. On the celebration night, Fatih turned to Sandra and said: “Working with you made me realize that making low-alcohol wine is like finding balance in life. And I think my balance is you.”

Sandra, slightly blushing, smiled. “If you didn’t have your way with microorganisms, we couldn’t have done it,” she said.

And so, the low-alcohol wine became not only a success but also the beginning of their story together.

Try Non-Saccharomyces strains!