Non-Alcohol Wines Rising Fast From A Small Base
While non-alcoholic wines remain a small part of the industry overall, they’re growing at a rapid clip owing to interest from a variety of consumer groups, with suppliers, distributors, and retailers seizing on the momentum. According to Impact Databank, the non-alcoholic wine category in the U.S. climbed past 1.6 million cases last year, up from about 1.4 million cases a year earlier and more than doubling its 2020 total.
“No-alcohol is a smaller piece of business today, but the growth rates are significantly higher,” says Brie Wohld, vice president of marketing for Trinchero Family Estates, whose Fre brand jumped 16% to 440,000 cases last year. “I think we’re going to continue to see more innovation and more growth over time.” Fre added an Alcohol-Removed Pinot Grigio to its lineup last fall, bringing the line to a total of 10 offerings.
“There has been a proliferation of brands entering the category and we expect this to continue,” says Brooks Addington, CEO of Töst in the Constellation Brands portfolio. In fact, growth rates for non-alcoholic wines have been stronger than those of low-alcohol wines, another hot category in the wine sector.
“The concern about alcohol consumption is not just during Sober October or Dry January,” says Steve Lohr, president and CEO of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, which owns Ariel non-alcoholic wines, a brand up 10% to 81,000 cases in the U.S. last year. “It’s really grown to become something people think about throughout the year. Non-alcoholic wine is one of the strongest categories out there, and it’s attracted a lot of competition. People are just not drinking as much, especially the 20- and 30-somethings.”
New Zealand’s Giesen 0%, imported by Opici, is another key player in the space, posting an impressive 73% increase to 135,000 cases in 2024, according to Impact Databank, more than quadruple its volume of just two years prior. The import recently added a Chardonnay to its lineup. Stella Rosa Non-Alcoholic wines from Riboli Family Wines has also made inroads with a range of offerings. Numerous other brands have entered the fray as well.
Enore Ceola, CEO of Freixenet Mionetto USA, notes that a range of consumers are incorporating non-alcoholic wines into their drinking repertoires. “Right now the people most interested seem to be the younger generations, but as the category gets more widespread, I think there’s opportunity with older demographics,” he says. Combined, Mionetto and Freixenet alcohol-removed sparkling wines neared 50,000 cases in 2024, up from 25,000 cases in 2023.
Trinchero is heavily invested in the category. Aside from Fre, “We also added two non-alcohol SKUs in our Seaglass brand—a non-alcohol Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio—and we see a lot of upside potential there,” says Wohld. “And then we’ve had a brand called Luminara, which is a line of Napa Valley-appellated, alcohol-removed wines. We’re trying to come at this from every major price point from the high end at Napa Valley to a mid-range and a more value proposition from Fre to create more options for the trade and for consumers.”
The Party Source in Bellevue, Kentucky, carries more than 50 alcohol-free wine SKUs and has dedicated space specifically for alcohol-free products. “We have leaned into non-alcohol beverage products,” says president and CEO Jon Stiles. “Two years ago we devoted an entire 32-foot aisle to all non-alcohol beverage products and that includes wine, beer, and spirits, as well as non-alcohol alternative products.”
Chris Becker, founder of Better Rhodes, an online marketplace for alcohol-free wines, spirits, and other beverages, says his core audience is females aged 35-55, although “we do see some Gen Z purchasing and baby boomers are starting to really pick up on it as well. You’ve got the sober curious and mindful drinking, and very much the health and wellness focus.”
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