Sustainable strategies from the vineyard to the winery to obtain low-sugar grapes and dealcoholized wine

Abstract

Climate change is causing a progressive increase in grape sugar concentration and, consequently, in wine alcohol content, compromising wine typicity and reducing consumer appeal, as demand increasingly shifts towards lower- and no-alcohol wines. In this context, and within the framework of the GO UBAVIDA project, this study evaluates sustainable and integrated strategies from vineyard to winery aimed at obtaining grapes with lower sugar concentrations and producing high-quality low-alcohol and dealcoholized wines, while preserving their sensory and bioactive properties.

The ripening of Vitis vinifera cv. Tempranillo (DO Ribera del Duero) was monitored over six weeks, assessing the evolution of technological, aromatic and phenolic maturity. During the 2024 harvest, three different harvest dates were selected, ranging from early to optimal maturity, and the grapes were used for microvinifications under different enological conditions, including enzymatic treatments designed to optimize color and aroma extraction.

The results demonstrate that appropriate harvest timing enables a significant reduction in alcohol content while maintaining balanced acidity and avoiding the development of undesirable vegetal characters. Wines produced from early harvests at pilot scale showed greater freshness, lower color intensity and an adequate aromatic expression.

Industrial-scale vinifications carried out during the 2024 and 2025 harvests confirmed a significant decrease in alcohol content and pH, as well as an increase in acidity, without compromising phenolic structure or color intensity. The young wines obtained also showed a high suitability for dealcoholization processes, retaining aromatic intensity and phenolic-derived quality, thereby reinforcing the feasibility of these strategies as a technical and sustainable response to climate change.

References

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