After months of back and forth, the green light has arrived: dealcoholized (or very low alcohol) wine can also be produced in Italy. What unblocked everything was an inter-ministerial decree from Mef and Masaf, which for the first time puts tax rules, excise duties and procedures on paper.
Translated: Italian wineries can enter a market which, in the rest of Europe, is already a reality.
But what are we really talking about? And above all: is it a good idea or not.
What is dealcoholized wine and what does the decree provide
Dealcoholized wine is not born non-alcoholic. It is wine produced with classic fermentation, from which the alcohol is then removed (completely or almost completely) through physical techniques such as vacuum distillation or reverse osmosis. The result? A product with alcohol content close to zero or very low.
The decree establishes:
It is anything but a technical step: without this regulatory framework, Italian companies were at a disadvantage compared to their European competitors.
The Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida actually talks about new opportunities and focuses on Italian excellence in this segment too. On the business side, the climate is less ideological and more pragmatic. Paolo Castelletti, general secretary of the Italian Wine Union, speaks of “good news” after a difficult period. And Luca Rigotti of Confcooperative Federagripesca is clear: it is not a passing fad, but a structural change.
Is this really a good idea?
Without a doubt, the new product will appeal to those who do not drink alcohol by choice, health or religion and can help some wineries to diversify at a time of declining consumption. But? The taste is not that of traditional wine and not only that: the dealcoholization processes are expensive and technologically invasive, in addition to the fact that there could be a real risk of distorting the cultural identity of Italian wine if it becomes just an industrial product.
What is certain is that dealcoholized wine will not replace traditional wine. And he doesn’t have to. But ignoring it would be short-sighted. The key lies there: using it as a parallel category, without passing off a compromise as tradition.
If Italy can do it with transparency, quality and without rhetoric, it can work. If, however, it becomes yet another marketing operation disguised as a green revolution, flop is just around the corner.
