Phenol pattern and health benefits of dealcoholized and low-alcohol wines

The growing interest in more healthy habits has increased the consumers’ demand for non-alcoholic beverages, including wine. Consequently, this market has notably grown, reaching about US$ 2 billion in 2021. In 2021, the EU introduced the categories of dealcoholized and partial dealcoholized wines (EC Regulation 2117/2021). These products can be obtained using different techniques, applied in different steps of winemaking. Until now, limited research has been performed to evaluate the impact of dealcoholization processes on quality and chemical aspects of wine. This study aims at reviewing data form the scientific literature on the most significant changes occurring after different dealcoholization processes, with particular attention to phenolic composition and the impact on health. The literature search was performed using the most important scientific databases. The keywords used were “wine” in combination with “dealcoholization”, “dealcoholized”, “low alcohol”, zero “alcohol”, “alcohol-free” “ethanol removal”, “phenolic composition” “health”. Alcoholic beverages different from wine were excluded. From the literature search, 53 papers were retrieved. Nanofiltration was the technique allowing the better preservation of polyphenols in red wines. Furthermore, ethanol reduction in the range between 1 and 4% (v/v) was associated with higher levels of polyphenol volatile compounds and a better retention of sensory characteristics than dealcoholized wines. Low- and zero alcohol wines showed also a positive impact on human health, mainly due to flavonoids. Different dealcoholization techniques differently affect chemical composition of wine, but health benefits are generally always maintained.