Non-Alcoholic Wine Vs. Grape Juice: What's The Difference?

If you try to live an alcohol-free lifestyle, you're probably aware that your beverage selections are pretty limited. When you're out and about with family or friends, it's easy to feel "out of the loop" if everyone else is drinking alcoholic beverages while you're drinking lemon water. 

Maybe you've recently started trying out alcohol-free beverages, but have you ever thought to yourself, what is the difference between non-alcoholic wine and grape juice? Well, it's no secret that wine begins as grape juice fermented to produce alcohol and then transformed into wine. However, because non-alcoholic wine contains no alcohol, some people wonder what the difference is between non-alcoholic wine and grape juice and often confuse the two! 

So, what are the differences between non-alcoholic wine and grape juice? And what is the non-alcoholic wine vs. grape juice health benefits? Let's take a look! 

What is the difference between non-alcoholic wine and grape juice? 

The production process is the most significant distinction between non-alcoholic wine and grape juice. Simply put, non-alcoholic wine is prepared in the same way as alcoholic wine, with the exception that the alcohol is eliminated. Grape juice, on the other hand, is simply grape juice that has not been fermented. While they both derive from grapes and have a similar flavour profile, there is a notable difference in their flavour profiles, owing to how they are manufactured. When producing alcohol-free wine, the liquid follows a process that is nearly identical to the process of alcoholic wine, and starts off looking very much like juice. Grapes are harvested from a vineyard using either human or mechanical labour. The wine's (or juice's) ideal flavour profile in terms of acidity, sweetness, and taste is determined by the sorts of grapes used and the time they are picked. After the grapes have been chosen, they go through the destemming process, then crushed in a mechanical press.

The grapes are crushed fast to separate the juice from the skins, seeds, and sediments, or pressed gently to keep the grapes in contact with their skins, depending on the type of wine or juice. This also determines whether the wine is white or red. Both the non-alcoholic wine and the juice have a wonderful, freshly squeezed liquid of grape juice at this point. But following this process is where the difference really is evident. At this point, the liquid goes through a fermentation process to make alcohol-free wine. Grape juice, on the other hand, does not go through the fermentation process. Instead, the grapes are pasteurised to totally stop fermentation.

Why you should switch to non-alcoholic wine?

So, the big question, why should you seriously consider switching to alcohol-free wine? Non-alcoholic wine is popular for a variety of reasons. You could be a non-drinker who likes wine's flavour, and texture. You might be trying to cut back from alcohol for a while because you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or participating in a challenge. Or maybe you just want to cut back and drink more thoughtfully. Whatever the reasoning, non-alcoholic wine is a great choice for all those wine lovers out there.

There are endless, obvious health benefits associated with cutting out or back on your alcohol intake. Some of which include; reduced blood pressure, improved skin, reduce your risk of cancer and simply the fact that you can completely avoid a nasty hangover, it's practically a no-brainer! Also, it's clear that when it comes to what we put into our bodies as a country, we're absolutely making much healthier choices. As a result, it comes as no surprise that by 2023, Australia's alcohol-free wine consumption will account for 18% of global consumption, isn't that insane? The shift is very much happening right now hence why the alcohol-free alcohol market continues to grow, expand, and evolve.                                                                                                         

Where to find the best non-alcoholic wine?

So, you're probably wondering, where can I find good quality, delicious, non-alcoholic wine and beverages? Well, you don't need to look far. Here at Craftzero we have a wide range of alcohol-free beers, wines, spirits, and RTD's. You name it, we've got it! If you have no idea where to start, we highly recommend trying out one of our mixed wine bundles which includes a bit of everything, or simply let us know what you enjoy and we will give you our expert suggestions.