NO-ALCOHOL wines produced in Sunraysia have gained some international acclaim at one of the world’s largest wine shows.
Family-owned operation Edenvale Beverages took out best producer in the low and no-alcohol producer category at the 2024 International Wine and Spirit Competition in London.
Based in Mourquong, and primarily using local vineyards, Edenvale was established in 2006 to offer sophisticated beverage options to people choosing not to consuming alcohol.
The company produces 18 non-alcoholic wine varietals which are stocked in major and independent supermarkets throughout Australia.
Senior winemaker Aaron Milne said he hoped the award would help the brand open new export doors.
“When you’ve got this international validation of your brand, we’re really hoping it gives us quite a lift when we’re meeting with people in say the US and UK,” he said.
“We’ve got something to back it up and validate the brand and the company.”
Edenvale’s Premium Reserve Sparkling Shiraz was named the best low and no-alcohol wine at the competition, awarded 98 points by a panel of four judges who complimented the drink’s notes of red berries, vanilla, liquorice, coffee, dark fruits and spice.
Mr Milne said producing alcohol-removed wine is all about reintroducing and balancing flavours, after alcohol is removed through a process called vacuum distillation.
“That’s when the hard work sort of begins,” he said.
“Because we’ve taken the alcohol out which protects it from any spoilage and microbes, we have a real short window to get everything ready and back into balance and do a lot of tasting trials and get it in the bottle as quickly as possible.”
Founder of Edenvale Michael Bright said the tight-knit team is extremely proud of receiving the prestigious award.
“At Edenvale, our mission is to provide consumers worldwide with a truly premium alcohol-removed wine that offers the same taste, aroma and complexity as traditional wines, without the intoxicating effects,” he said.
“We are constantly looking at ways we can evolve, adopting new technology and processes to ensure the very best product.”
Edenvale commissioned its new facility in June this year, investing $5 million to incorporate a direct heat-pump system that both heats and cools the product during the dealcoholisation process.
