Falstaff: Dry January – is that even an option for a sommelière?
Katharina Iglesias: I can understand why someone would want to take a break from alcohol, especially after the festive season in December. However, Dry January isn’t an option for me, as I have to deal with alcohol at work and can’t do without it for a whole month. There is an after-work wine tasting every Thursday at the wineBANK in Hamburg. I have to taste the wines beforehand. But I also have to taste a lot of other things. We have a large wine list and nothing goes out that I or my colleague haven’t tasted ourselves. I prefer to divide my alcohol-free phases over the year and take a break every now and then.
Are non-alcoholic wines really an alternative if you want to do “without” for a while?
I generally find it difficult to compare non-alcoholic wines with wines containing alcohol. It’s simply a completely new set of drinks that you have to get involved with. Especially the exciting alternatives with very little sugar. If you discover it for yourself and can adjust to its unique taste and don’t always compare it to “normal wine”, it really is a great alternative!
How do you think the market for non-alcoholic wines will develop?
For me, non-alcoholic sparkling wine is a great option. The bubbles give the wine more character, and in terms of taste, the carbonation can compensate for the lack of alcohol. In contrast, non-alcoholic wine still needs a little time before it can really stand up to comparison. It’s like the first non-alcoholic beers: pefecting the formula simply takes time. The trend towards non-alcoholic wine has not been around that long and we have already come an incredibly long way in terms of the flavor nuances, regardless of whether they are additionally refined with other aromas that complement the grape variety or whether grapes are selected that already have powerful aromas, such as Muscat or Sauvignon Blanc.
Why is reduced-alcohol wine usually sweeter than conventional vintages?
This is because removing alcohol also means losing an intense flavor carrier, which is then replaced by sugar. However, I believe that there is still great potential for growth in this area. Non-alcoholic wine will certainly be an exciting topic in the next five years.
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