Sawt Falasteen - Top French wine show risks purists' ire with alcohol-free drive

Wine Paris, which will take place in February in the French capital, announced Tuesday zero-percent wine and spirits would have their own dedicated space for the first time called "Be No", with 62 exhibitors.

"Wine Paris is the celebration of wine, whether with or without alcohol," chief organiser Rodolphe Lameyse told a press conference.

Given the worrying trend of declining wine consumption, alcohol-free versions could be "one of the ways out of this crisis," he argued.

That view is likely to sit badly with the vast show's most conservative exhibitors, who have long viewed alcohol-free wine as a betrayal of their centuries-old traditions.

Although the technology is constantly improving, the alcohol-removal process is seen by many to erase fragile grape aromas, while the alcohol is also viewed as a foundational flavour.

Driven by health or religious concerns, consumers around the world are increasingly seeking out no- and low-alcohol drinks, however.

An increasing number of restaurants in France now offer zero-percent wine on their lists.

Wine Paris welcomed around 52,000 visitors last year and 5,300 exhibitors, making it one of the biggest trade shows in the world.

Worldwide consumption of wine fell in 2024 to its lowest level in more than 60 years, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine.

France has been on a downwards trend for years, suffering another 3.6-percent fall last year.

Many major growing areas, including Bordeaux, have also experienced export difficulties and are ripping up vines, with their predicament made worse by US President Donald Trump's trade tariffs.

L.AbuAli--SF-PST