South Australia's winemakers will be front and centre of the emerging no and low alcohol (NOLO) wine market in Australia and the world, with the establishment of a world-first trial scale facility in Adelaide.
The Malinauskas Labor Government has invested $1.98 million in the facility at the University of Adelaide, with the centrepiece a machine which will allow South Australian winemakers to trial NOLO wine using as little as 150 litres of wine. Commercial-scale equipment, which has traditionally been used to develop new wine products, requires 10,000 litres.
Through the facility, South Australian wine businesses will be able to access equipment and expertise to develop new high-quality NOLO wine products at a subsidised cost, creating the opportunity to trial and refine new wine products in a low-risk environment. Also available are canning and bottling facilities, so successful trial products can be packaged and used for consumer or trade samples, market research and export samples.
The global NOLO market was valued at $1.58 billion in 2020 and is growing rapidly. This represents a strong opportunity for the South Australian wine industry, which is working to overcome the threat of oversupply and the loss of the China market.
Australian wine currently has 5% of the global NOLO market share, but only 3% of the value, which underlines the importance of enhancing our global standing through improvements in sensory perceptions of flavour, texture and aroma in NOLO wines. Many wine businesses are looking to diversify their product offering into new and existing markets to build resilience.
The NOLO project is a partnership between the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, the University of Adelaide and the Australian Wine Research Institute.
The facility is open to wine businesses now.
To learn more and register interest, see No and low (NOLO) alcohol wine.
