Wine Merchants Optimistic about Low-Alcohol Wines, as No-Low Sparkling and White Wines Lead Demand and Expand Product Ranges, According to the ProWein Business Survey 2022 Special Report
DÜSSELDORF – The wine industry is actively addressing the ongoing economic crisis’s challenges. In the 2022 ProWein Business Report, nearly 2,500 wine professionals from 47 countries were surveyed about their plans for the year. Approximately 46% of wine producers and merchants aim to adjust their product offerings to match market trends, while 27% plan to invest in innovative products.
Globally, the ‘no-low’ category is one of the fastest-growing beverage segments. This innovative category primarily consists of alcoholic beverages that have been dealcoholized or contain significantly less alcohol by volume. In 2022, global no-low sales surpassed $22 billion, according to the IWSR. The IWSR anticipates an annual sales growth of 7% over the next five years through 2026, with 90% representing the primary growth share for the entire beverage industry.
Initially, the international expansion of the no-low market was driven by early innovations in alcohol-free beers and ciders with mature flavors. However, in recent years, significant advancements have been made in dealcoholizing wines. Although no or low-alcohol wines and sparkling wines still hold a small market share, they are experiencing impressive growth rates in many countries. As a result, ProWein collaborated with Meininger publishing house to organize the first-ever “World of Zero” event, focusing on dealcoholized wines in March 2023.
The 2022 ProWein Business Report also surveyed merchants from 16 different countries on the market opportunities and sales potential of the no-low wine category for the first time. This makes it the most extensive international report on this innovative and high-growth product category, which particularly benefits from consumers’ increasing health consciousness. The findings provide merchants and producers with valuable insights into the types of no-low wines in demand in various countries and where merchants are particularly interested in listing new no-low products.
To assess the relative sales opportunities of various wine types, nearly 1,150 wine merchants, importers, distributors, restaurateurs, and hoteliers were asked in November 2022 which products they believed would be in demand in 2023. The list of trending products is led by sparkling wines, Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco, which have already achieved significant market success in recent years. ProWein once again featured a focus area in this trend segment with the successful Champagne Lounge.
One-third of the wine trade views low-alcohol or dealcoholized wines as trending products. Merchants generally see better opportunities for low-alcohol wine than for no-alcohol wines. In addition to this global trend, there are notable regional differences between countries.
