ProWein’s ‘World of Zero’ to showcase no- and low- category

No- and low-alcohol drinks are set to take centre stage at the upcoming edition of the world’s largest wine fair for the first time in its 29-year history.

Michael Degen, executive director of ProWein organisers Messe Düsseldorf, told db that visitors to Hall 1, where ‘World of Zero’ will be held, have a great deal to look forward to from this new area at the fair: “With ‘World of Zero’ we pick up on the trend for no- and low-alcohol wines and proactively sets the scene for it. While so far, non-alcoholic products had been spread at the stands of the respective producers and/or importers and exporters across all exhibition halls, they are now presented in a pooled manner on a focal area in Hall 1. For our trade visitors from food service and retail this is the ideal platform to comprehensively, and above all efficiently, gather information on this segment. This provides exhibitors with easier access to new buyers for their new products and allows visitors in turn to locate this new product group faster. The ‘World of Zero’ is rounded off by a tasting zone in the centre of this themed world. Lectures and panel discussions on this set of themes complete the programme at the ‘World of Zero’.”

Among the brands to be operating a main stand elsewhere in the venue while having one in the ‘World of Zero’ are Schlumberger and Peter Riegel. There are also several brands whose presence is exclusive to this area of the fair, such as Kolonne Null and Manufaktur Jörg Geiger.

Though the wine world has an arguably unfair reputation for being slow to adjust to change, ProWein has consistently been on the pulse of drinks trends, with last year’s ‘same but different’ section being a recent example. As for why the no- and low- category seems to be on the rise, Degen suggested it’s generational: The growing health awareness and altered consumption behaviour of gen ‘Z’, i.e. the 26 to 37 year olds, are the key reasons for this trend. Only recently popstar Kylie Minogue hit the international headlines with the launch of her first non-alcoholic sparkling rosé wine of the same name. It will hit the shelves at British supermarket Tesco, to name but one outlet. ‘Zero’ also plays an increasingly important role in food service.”

Indeed, Degen believes that no- and low- might well be here to stay, rather than just being a Dry January fad: “Definitely not just a current craze! At the moment, however, it seems like a hype because the topic is relatively new. In the future, it may be normal for every producer to offer alcohol-free products in their range. Our current ProWein Business Report showed, for example, that wines with little alcohol and de-alcoholised wines (no-low wines) are seen by 33% and 24% of the industry as a sales trend for 2023. Against the backdrop of the current economic challenges, it is precisely such product innovations that are vital for the industry’s survival.”

ProWein 2023 will take place from 19 to 21 March in Düsseldorf.

To read more about ‘World of Zero’, click here.