酵母による発酵のメカニズムを解明した、19世紀フランスの自然科学者ルイ・パストゥールは「ワインは人間の飲み物の中で、最良の、最も健康的なもの」という言葉を残していますが、当時の人々は我々現代人ほど健康志向をお持ちではなかったようであります(恐らく健康よりも生存の方が重要問題であったのでしょう)。ワインが健康と結び付けられた事の発端は、1991年11月17日の夜中、アメリカCBSの「60 MINUTES」という人気ニュース番組でした。其処で赤ワインの健康効果が取り上げられたのですが、それが全米二千万の視聴者の常識を見事に引っ繰り返すものだったのです。元々アメリカは禁欲的なピューリタンによって築かれた国家で、自己否定に喜びを見出すピューリタン信仰が無くなった後も、舞踊・飲酒・観劇・小説さえ禁止もしくは制限される厳格なこの宗教に影響されて来ました。よってアメリカ人の心には快楽の為の快楽は自粛すべきという認識があり、それが1920年1月16日に施行されたアメリカ合衆国憲法修正第18条、所謂「禁酒法(※1)」に繋がる訳です。そしてこの1933年迄の十三年間に及ぶアメリカ最大の悪法を経験して「禁酒は美徳」という意識が残る人々を、このニュースが仰天させたのです。先ず最初に、アメリカにおける死亡理由の最たるものが動脈硬化に由来する狭心症や心筋梗塞などの「循環器系疾患」であり、アメリカ人の二人に一人がこの為に亡くなり、四人に一人がこの疾患を患っている事が知らされます(この時視聴者は途轍もない不安と恐怖に身を震わせています)。しかしその直後、赤ワインに含まれる「或る物質」がこれに対して有効だという知らせが高らかな口調で伝えられます。(この時視聴者の眼前に広がる闇の中に一条の光明が差し込みます。しかしオアズケ、此処でコマーシャルが入り)その後、一方で肉やバター等の動物性脂肪を多量に摂取する上に喫煙率も高いフランス人だけは、欧米人の中でも例外的にこの疾患が少ないという情報が、専門家の口から説得力豊かに語られます(因みにこの矛盾が、フランスのルノー博士等が研究した「フレンチ・パラドックス」。まだまだオアズケ、それ以外にも色々とウンチクが語られた後、やっと)実はこれは赤ワイン中の「ポリフェノール」が血管を綺麗にし、動脈硬化を防ぐからだ、と物々しく報道されるのです(そして翌日、あれ程売れ残っていた赤ワインが店内から忽然と消え去った…)(スミマセン、話の流れは日本TV番組風に半分私が脚色しました、が最後は事実のようです。その目と耳でご確認を⇒CBS:The French Paradox〈13:17〉https://youtu.be/UHbGOtF0LEw〈特に興味深いのが9:43~10:21、学校給食からミルクを廃止して水で薄めたワインを出そうという意見。登場するルノー博士は「5,6歳でミルクを止め、10か12歳で大量の水に薄めた少量のワインを食事時に飲み始めた」と仰っています。なお博士は2012年10月28日、メドックの小さな村にて85歳の生涯を閉じられました。心よりご冥福をお祈り申し上げます〉)
※1 酒類の販売・製造・運搬は禁じられたが、購入・飲用・所有は自由であった為、路上で泥酔しても「施行前に買った」とでも言えばお咎め無し(却って飲酒事故が増えたとか)。宗教や医療目的の製造は容認されたため一部のワイナリーは生き残ったが八割が閉鎖し、アメリカのワイン産業は壊滅(自家醸造ワインを飲むのは許されたため家庭ワイン造りが盛んになり、逆にワイン消費量は倍増した。が、ヒドイ味だったのは言うまでもない)。ナパの高級ワイン造りは一世紀以上遅れたとも(逆にこの深刻な状況が業界を動かし、特にナパやソノマでヨーロッパの醸造技術の頂点に達する進歩を遂げたとも。いつの時代も逆境が人を進歩させるのです)。「酒場=悪の巣窟」「アル中=社会の屑」とされ、「酒=悪」という概念が跋扈(当時のアルコール法律管轄機関はBATF=Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms、即ちアルコールとタバコは銃火器と同じくらい危険で厳しく管理されねばならぬと考えられた、という事。尚2003年1月からはTTB=Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureauの管理下にある。何れにせよ、健康を脅かす物に対しては国家干渉は必至)。しかしこの本質を根底から変えたのが、モンダヴィ(参考⇒ワインと音楽のペアリング)達が推奨した「フードワイン」、即ち「ワインは食事の一部」という考えであった(「食事=悪」と断言する人は居ませんよね。但しこれは飲む為の理由付けで、ペアリングの概念〈⇒五味と五感から知る! ワインと料理のペアリング法〉とは異質)。これで食事と一緒にワインを数杯飲んでも快楽であるという罪悪感は持たなくて済むようになった。因みに禁酒法終焉時には「また幸せな日々がやってきた」と歌われたのだとか(ヤッパリみんな飲みたいのだ! 映画『アンタッチャブル』でもそれを推測させるシーンが幾つかありましたネ)
Last time, we ended with “Art is to make a thorough investigation of formal characters”. So is wine. Previously referred to five flavours in this site, these five form taste of wine. As I rewrite my sentences in my book or this site, are components in wine changed? It depends on the circumstances, the wine law of each country/region and of course, each producer’s philosophy. There are some treatments such as enrichment (chaptalisation: a method to increase alcohol by adding sugar) and acidification/de-acidification. For example, California wines tend to have higher alcohol, which is likely to make wine thick and degrade finesse, although good wines have a balance for us to drink comfortably.(Because their pH is lower and they keep acids, they are fresher in spite of their higher alcohol.) In a wine making process, however, to decrease the level of sugar producers even add water to must (base wine) in an extreme condition. Clark Robert Smith, a winemaker/owner in California, said that 45% of Californian highly-priced wines are removed alcohol using spinning corn column or reverse osmosis.[1] On the other hand, in Bordeaux and Burgundy, some producers who can afford plant investment use entropy evaporation[2] to concentrate must. Now we can say winemakers make a thorough investigation of formal characters, too. The article of this time will cover more artificial wines, i.e. lower alcohol wines.
[1] According to Wikipedia, the use of technologies such as spinning cone column or reverse osmosis was banned in the EU until recently, although they could freely be used in wines imported from certain New World such as Australia and the US. More recently, in OIV recommended winemaking procedures were modified to permit use of spinning cone column and reverse osmosis, subject to a 20% limitation on the adjustment. Some studies show that alcohol can mask flavours of wine, so alcohol removal techniques will be more necessary as global warming progresses. Some of producers in Bordeaux have already taken these methods. (Of course, they can take other measures against global warming, such as early/night harvesting, planting vines at a high altitude and canopy management. 〈Canopy management is the arrangement to control the sunlight that gets into the canopy. In cool regions the grapes need sunlight to ripen, so an open canopy will be adopted. On the other hand, in warm regions the grapes need some shade by leaves to keep good acidity, so a closed canopy will be adopted.〉)
cf. Dr. John Forrest of Marlborough in New Zealand is making low alcohol wines more naturally. Sugars in grapes that are fermented into alcohol come from the photosynthesis that results from sunlight on vine leaves. So he cuts off leaves during the ripening process and makes lower alcohol wines with natural flavours.
[2] Water that evaporates at 100 ℃ is evaporated at 20℃ under vacuum. Use this, vacuum the tank and warm the must to about 25 ℃ to evaporate only the water. Almost no damage to the wine as it is below the fermentation temperature of normal red wine.
1. Introduction
Our tastes have changed. Not long ago, people longed for heavy wines with intense oak flavours and high alcohol, and it is still easy to find that kind of wines in New World. Now, because the spread of the Internet has reduced the need for people to use their bodies, the world tends to focus on health. Healthy foods mean lighter calories and lighter foods go well with lighter wines. Both alcohol and residual sugar contain calories, and alcohol has more calories than sugar. There may be people who claim lower alcohol wines lack body and strength. But some of the greatest wines are low in alcohol, such as Hunter Valley Semillon, Portuguese Vinho Verde and German Riesling. It seems full-bodied wines are no longer fashionable. There is a movement for lower alcohol drinks in the world.
2. Definition of lower alcohol drinks
First, we need to know a definition of lower alcohol drinks (in UK here. The definition may vary from country to country).
・Low Alcohol: Drinks with between 0.5% and 1.2% ABV ・De-alcoholised: Drinks with less than 0.5% ABV ・Alcohol Free: Drinks with less than 0.05% ABV ・Non-alcoholic: Drinks without alcohol
An alcohol free and non-alcoholic drink may take the form of a non-alcoholic mixed drink (a ‘virgin drink’), non-alcoholic beer (‘near beer’) and ‘mocktails’ (the shortened name of ‘mock cocktails’). Mocktails are non-alcoholic festive blend drinks of fruit juices, syrups, cream, herbs and spices. In this connection, ‘reduced alcohol’ means drinks with 5.5% ABV.
3. How to make lower alcohol wines
To make lower alcohol wines, two methods are mainly used: vacuum distillation or reverse osmosis. In addition to them, spinning cone column is also used but it is much more expensive. (It is a form of low temperature vacuum distillation to gently extract volatile components from liquid. See pictures below.) These processes start with real wine and end with little or no alcohol wine by reducing alcohol. Also, there are other methods which control alcohol production instead of reduction, i.e. reducing sugar, stopping fermentation and fermentation using yeasts which produce less alcohol. Some say that wines made by these methods tend to have more grapey flavours than two main methods, but unlike grape juices they have wine-like acidity and body. In fact, lower alcohol wines differ from grape juices. While grape juice is the unfermented juice, lower alcohol wine goes through the same fermentation and ageing process as regular wine, only to have the alcohol removed at the last stages. This makes lower alcohol wine much less sugary than grape juice (because yeasts eat the sugar), but with the similar flavours to regular wine.
4. Taste of lower alcohol wines
Surely, the taste of lower alcohol wines is the big problem. Maybe it is because our palates are used to regular wines, but lower alcohol wines tend to lose floral aromas or tannins due to the production methods using heat or membrane. Besides, alcohol brings some sweetness, body and texture. But things have changed. The increase in demand for lower alcohol drinks has encouraged producers to find ways to make better taste. The technology is improving every year, and some of them are now very drinkable. For example, Spanish producer Torres has pioneered lower alcohol wines, and its Natureo wines are very good and now have 0.0% alcohol. Australian producer Rawson’s Retreat makes pleasantly fruity wines with 0.5% alcohol. When it comes to spirits, Gordon’s has created Ultra Low Alcohol gin and tonic. Ketel One Vodka produces low-abv Botanical range and Seedlip offers sophisticated non-alcoholic spirits. The increase in demand for complex, more challenging options means the lower alcohol drinks category is one of the most exciting trends and biggest opportunities in the present drinks industry.
5. Alcoholic harm to health
The quality of lower alcohol drinks is improving now, but drinking too much will come to nothing. According to UK Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines, it is the safest not to drink more than 14 units a week. (1 unit is 10mL or 8g of pure alcohol, 76mL of 13% wine, 25mL of 40% whiskey, 250mL of 4% beer.) Reducing the number of units helps to avoid the risk of some serious illnesses such as cancer, liver and heart disease and high blood pressure. Also, it benefits the health: deeper sleep, more energy, better concentration, better skin and slimmer waistline. Furthermore, we can save more money. (Tax breaks for low alcohol.)
6. Outlook for lower alcohol drinks
From the facts above, lower alcohol drinks will become more popular. They are no longer negative drinks only for drivers and expecting mothers. There are even alcohol-free bars, also known as dry bars. (These days, young people tend not to drink alcohol. I think the cause is, especially in Japan, the increase of young people spending time playing alone at home, that is the diversification of amusements and the individualization of society, a kind of individualism.) Heineken has promoted non-alcoholic beer in restaurants. (Non-alcoholic drinks have no tax, so makers can make the higher proportion of profit.) In countries where alcohol is illegal, non-alcoholic drinks are permitted. So, the promotion can be done in those countries, too. (The rate of the increase in Islam and Hindu population is higher than the world average.) In Japan, lower alcohol drinks are accepted enough to occupy a corner in liquor shops. And we can use them as a gift for those who are weak in alcohol or in celebration of an achievement in the place of work. We can recommend them to those who cannot take alcohol because of disease or those who have a party with kids. This is the time when it is important to cope well with stresses and strains. Lower alcohol drink is now one of positive choices in drinking.
Today’s maxim
The producer’s job is not to leave it to nature, but to actively approach grapes and wine and lead them to his own ideal wine style.
Kawai Kaori ’USUKE BOYS, Japanese wine’s revolutionists’
Weekday wine
Le Petit Chavin Rosé Sparkling (Alcohol Free, Made with spinning cone column)
Appearance is medium salmon. Flossy but nicely vigourous bubbles. Medium(+) intensity aromas of strawberry candy, muscat grape and crushed raspberry. Also floral such as honeysuckle. Off-dry, medium acidity, smooth low tannin, medium body in spite of alcohol free. Medium flavour intensity of grapey character. Finish is short but longer than any other alcohol free sparklers I’ve ever had. Besides, acidity lasts to its finish. Tannins support its body and make it more drinkable or bring satisfying quality of a drink. Goes well with strawberry-flavoured cheese.
扨モーツァルトに関連して、イタリアの Il Paradiso di Frassina の畑では葡萄の樹にその楽曲を聞かせているとの事です。ココで再び「ブドウが音楽聴くんかい?」と思った方、あなたのそそっかしさに私も附いて参ります。勿論聞く訳ありません。ただ、音楽は植物の成育を助けませんが、音を切っ掛けにして生存能力が付くのだそうです。植物は自然界の静かな風の音や虫の音に晒されており、それらの振動を天敵である芋虫の食む時の振動と区別し、そして芋虫の振動を感じた時、植物は芋虫が嫌う化学物質を出して自分を守るのです。無害な音/振動に慣れさせる事で、有害な音/振動に敏感にさせようという目論見なのでしょう。
J太郎もまた何も言わず、ただボトルをS男の前に静かに立てた。「NYETIMBER PRODUCT OF ENGLAND」という文字が大きくラベルに記載されていた。マルチ・ヴィンテージの非常に素晴らしい泡だった。S男の分析は確かに的を射ていた。しかしpH3.0の酸度が彼に止めを刺したのだ。彼の脳裏にイギリスという国は全く浮かばなかった。S男は敗北した…