"More than just grape juice"

Where a young winemaker presses fine wines without alcohol

Enjoyment without consequences: Local winegrowers move with the times.(Bild: Groh Klemens)

Rosé and Riesling - the valuable, but not "intoxicating" varieties of 23-year-old winegrower Benita Lobner from Lower Austria. She has now even found a major regional customer for her creative wines.

My wines are vinified in exactly the same way as classic wines. The difference in the production process is that an additional step is added in which the alcohol is gently removed using vacuum distillation. However, the specific aroma is retained in any case. And without any compromises in taste and enjoyment," says Benita Sophie Lobner from Mannersdorf an der March, reassuring all those amateur oenologists who can indulge in the noble tropics sip by sip and glass by glass. And without any unpleasant consequences!

Benita represents a whole new generation of winegrowers in her vineyards in eastern Lower Austria(Bild: Johannes Brunnbauer)

For the creative winemaker, who can now put her liquid treasures on the shelves of the red-white-red food retailer SPAR, one thing is certain: "There's much more to it than just grape juice."

Our specialty has always been deeply regional local food. This non-alcoholic wine from the young winemaker is a real enrichment for our range.

Gerhard Drexel, Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender der SPAR-Gruppe

Promoting regional suppliers
"As part of our 'Young & Urban' campaign, we support creative young companies and their special products," encourages SPAR Supervisory Board President Gerhard Drexel. The living food legend is full of praise for Benita's product: "With her fine and dynamic touch, Ms. Lobner impressively proves that non-alcoholic wine can also be modern, high-quality and free from common prejudices. Both her rosé and the Riesling have a lot of character by nature and bring complexity and a variety of flavors even without alcohol."