Not keen on feeble nolo wine? Try these instead

"Alcohol does much more than make you tipsy; it is the magic ingredient that gives so much of wine's wondrous complexity, character and charm. Not only does it carry volatile compounds that make up wine's endlessly fascinating combinations of scents and tastes, along with a sensation of warmth, it also creates that viscous body and texture what's rather grossly known in the trade as mouthfeel of the liquid in your mouth, and the overall balance of all these factors in the wine."

"When the base wine is dealcoholised, however, all that character goes with it. Compared with beer's relatively low-alcohol content, wine's usual 11%-15% ABV means that, when the alcohol has gone, you feel its absence more, which is partly why nolo beers are generally more successful than nolo wine. That said, there are some wine substitutes that are worth trying, but, to avoid disappointment, my advice is to see them as drinks that aren't wine because, well, they're simply not."

"Some compounds can be reintroduced after dealcoholisation, or added, usually with unfermented grape juice, to replicate wine-like aromas and flavours. Hi-tech processes are improving all the time, but it's still nigh-on impossible to mimic effectively the weight and balance of wine. Sugar is often used to give some body and/or to counteract excessive tartness, but that means many such drinks are unattractively sweet and cloying."

Alcohol carries volatile compounds that create wine's scents, tastes, warming sensation, viscous body and mouthfeel, and helps balance all components. Removing alcohol from wine strips much of that complexity and character, and the loss is more noticeable in wine because of its typical 11%-15% ABV. Some compounds can be reintroduced or added with unfermented grape juice, and technical methods are improving, but matching alcohol's contribution to weight and balance remains extremely difficult. Producers often add sugar to provide body or counter tartness, which can make drinks overly sweet. Sparkling, chilled options and cocktail-style garnishes can improve drinkability.

Read at www.theguardian.com