{"id":162,"date":"2023-08-13T05:52:31","date_gmt":"2023-08-13T04:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goodstuffdrinks.com\/?p=162"},"modified":"2024-01-26T05:55:42","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T04:55:42","slug":"non-alcoholic-wine-vs-grape-juice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goodstuffdrinks.com\/non-alcoholic-wine-vs-grape-juice\/","title":{"rendered":"Non-Alcoholic Wine vs Grape Juice – Understanding The Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We all know that wine starts life as grape juice and is then fermented to produce alcohol and turn it into wine.  However, if non-alcoholic wine has no alcohol, it\u2019s not a surprise that some people ask what\u2019s the difference between non-alcoholic wine and grape juice?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The simple answer is non-alcoholic wine is made by removing the alcohol from wine that\u2019s been fermented allowing it to develop the complex flavours wine drinkers enjoy.  Whereas grape juice is about capturing the natural flavour of the grapes from the moment they\u2019re crushed.  The result is both drinks end up with very different flavour profiles. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought I’d find out more about how they’re made so that we can understand the impact there has on the flavours and drinking experience of both non-alcoholic wine and grape juice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Non-Alcoholic Wine?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First thought explain what I mean by non-alcoholic wine. In the UK we’ve got some fairly complicated labelling laws that actually means non-alcoholic wine can only refer to grape juice that is used for ceremonial or sacramental ceremony’s. However, realistically most people haven’t read the UK labelling laws to understand the differences between terms like alcohol-free, low alcohol, non-alcoholic, dealcoholised or no alcohol<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Best 5 Low Carb Non Alcoholic Wines – Perfect for the Keto Diet<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Non-Alcoholic Red Wine Lower Blood Pressure?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I’m going to assume that if you’re Googling non-alcoholic wine<\/em> what you’re actually interested in is wine with very little or no alcohol.  To keep things simple, I\u2019ll be writing about wines under 0.5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does Alcohol<\/em> Differentiate Non-Alcoholic Wine from Grape Juice?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another common misconception about what differentiates non-alcoholic wine and grape juice is only one has alcohol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s often thought that it\u2019s the small amount of alcohol found in non-alcoholic wines that means it\u2019s labelled as wine<\/em> and that having zero alcohol allows grape juice to be labelled juice<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn’t the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like a lot of fruit juices<\/a>, grape juice also can contain small amounts of alcohol.  This occurs because natural yeasts in the air can get into the grape juice and begin fermenting to produce alcohol.  The faster production processes avoid this fermentation developing anywhere near as much as wine and other include steps to stop this or remove alcohol, but some grape juices will contain trace amounts of alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Is Alcohol Free Wine & Beer Really Alcohol Free?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Non-Alcoholic Wine Good or Bad For You?  Plus Top 10 Health Benefits of Going Alcohol-Free<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

How much alcohol?  Researchers in Germany<\/a> showed it could be up to 0.86% in some of the samples they tested, so higher<\/em> than the 0.5% limit for dealcoholised wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Grape Juice? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Grape juice is exactly what you think it is – the juice from crushed grapes. There are many different ways to get juice from grapes but most common involves crushing the grapes and heating them to extract the most flavour before cooling down and storing. Commercially available grape juices can often go through clips a process of pasteurisation.  This removes the naturally occurring yeasts and moulds within the grapes before the juice is packaged for sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can even make your own at home<\/a> relatively easily if you start with a lot of grapes and some patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s commercially available or homemade grape juice, the goal of these different processes is always the same \u2013 to capture the natural flavour of the grapes within a juice.  <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Grapes<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

How Non-Alcoholic Wine Is Made <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Non-alcoholic wine is made the same way as wine, just with one extra step at the end of the process.  First the grapes are crushed to release the juice ready for fermenting.  At this stage, the colour is similar for all wines (and not dependent on the colour of the grapes used).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Best 11 Low Calorie Alcohol-Free Wines<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Alcohol-Free Wine Vegan? Plus 10 Of The Best To Try<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What happens next is defined by the desired colour of the wine being made:<\/p>\n\n\n\n