Brits create record demand for low alcohol wines with sales at Tesco more than doubling in the last year.
But now the supermarket believes that number is set to grow even further after launching a range that is virtually indistinguishable in taste from its alcoholic counterparts.
The range includes five customer favourites – a Cabernet Tempranillo, a Grenacha-Rosé and a Sauvignon Blanc – the latter two in both still and sparkling varieties.
The taste improvement comes from a new innovative spinning cone technique that gently removes the alcohol without sacrificing the aroma, quality and flavour profile of the wine.
Until now most non-alcoholic wines have been fermented until they reach the point where they are about to turn alcoholic so the liquid never actually becomes wine.
Another popular method involves removing the alcohol but replacing it with a number of sugars and artificial flavours to bring back the flavours lost through the process.
Tesco wine expert Alexandra Runciman, who developed the range, said:
“Consumption of alcohol in the UK down is down by 18 per cent over the last decade and we're seeing more customers looking for a quality wine drinking experience without the alcohol.
“In recent years we've seen improvements in the quality and range of low and no alcohol ciders and beers which have put the wine equivalent firmly in the shade.
“This is the first wine range of its kind sold by a supermarket which offers customers a real comparable alternative to popular varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache Rosé and Sauvignon Blanc, without any compromise on taste.”
The wines, which are nearly alcohol free - less than 0.5% - have been developed in partnership with leading international wine producers Felix Solis, and will be available in over 700 stores across the country and online and will be priced from £3.
In March 2017 Tesco became the first supermarket to bring together its entire range of alcohol free, or less than 0.5% ABV beers, wines and spirits in one place in stores across the UK.
