Photo/Illutration A woman in Yokohama discusses characteristics of alcohol-free beverages, such as their mild flavors and drinkers’ being able to easily wake up early the next morning, with a friend at a drinking session through a video call. (Kenichi Shindo)

In an increasingly common scene, drinkers are opting for alcohol-free or low-alcoholic wine as they are cooped up at home during the novel coronavirus pandemic. 

At a recent online-drinking party, a 51-year-old woman was told by a friend that she would sip only an alcohol-free beverage.

“I will work a part-time shift tomorrow so I will try a non-alcoholic one,” said her 52-year-old friend, during the function that started around 10 p.m. on Feb. 2, the day the state of emergency covering Tokyo and nine prefectures was extended until March 7.

In response, the woman, a resident of an apartment in Yokohama, spoke to her friend on the screen, saying, “I have been drinking too much these days and chose a low-alcoholic beverage myself,” with her glass tilted.

Behind the trend to reduce alcoholic intake are likely consumers’ increased health consciousness and young people’s changing views of drinking, according to Naoko Kuga, a senior researcher at the NLI Research Institute.

“The lifestyle of refraining from drinking has proven popular among young imbibers in Europe,” said Kuga. “People have become more health conscious as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, leading to the lessened frequency of drinking sessions and accelerating the tendency in Japan.”

According to Suntory Holdings Ltd., the market size of soft drinks with similar flavors to their alcoholic counterparts is expected to expand 13 percent in 2020 from five years earlier.

Suntory noted 20 percent of non-alcohol drinkers in their 20s to 30s said that they ingested “more such products” last year because of changes to their lifestyles deriving from the COVID-19 outbreak.

Asked about their reasons for eschewing alcoholic beverages, most respondents cited health-related issues, such as wanting to “maintain my health” and “having teetotal days.”

Typical wine-like beverages free from alcohol are made by removing the alcohol from wine or bottling non-fermented fruit juice that have no alcohol.

Kohyo Co. in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, a pioneer in this field, imports Carl Jung Sparkling Dry, a popular German sparkling wine free of the intoxicating substance.

Alcohol molecules in it are reportedly removed at lower temperatures through vacuum extraction technology, allowing the soft wine’s original flavor and taste to be preserved well.

“The product is sought-after among those who have come to consume much alcohol and hope to give a break to their livers after working from home more often,” said a Kohyo official.

To make wine free from alcohol, the reverse osmosis membrane, a special filter, or a dedicated still known as the spinning cone column can also be used. As treated products are based on wine, they are said to boast wine's aromas and flavors.

Hiruzen Wine Co., an agricultural production firm in Maniwa, Okayama Prefecture, creates the Yoseitachi no Utage (Fairies’ banquet) unfiltered wine bottle from heated and sterilized juice of squeezed crimson glory vine, which are kept in a tank for five months to a year.

The beverage is great in balancing sweetness, sourness and astringency, and features a deep flavor.

“The bottle is neither an alcoholic beverage nor a plain juice drink,” said a representative of Hiruzen Wine. “Rich in polyphenol, which is believed to be very effective in preventing lifestyle-related diseases and making the skin beautiful, it is welcomed by consumers.”

Wine products with reduced amounts of alcohol are drawing attention as well.

Orca International in Tokyo’s Arakawa Ward released the Sunny with a Chance of Flowers reduced-alcohol wine brand last autumn in three types, including red and white beverages.

Removing the alcohol slowly out of wine realized the brand's well-balanced flavor and savoriness. Although ordinary wine contains 12 to 14 percent of alcohol, the alcohol content in the Sunny with a Chance of Flowers is lowered to 9 percent.

“The bottle’s healthy features, such as reduced calories and no sugar content, along with the improved taste, explain its popularity,” said a representative of Orca International.

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