$4.8m investment in NOLO wine project in South Australia

The Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development in South Australia, David Basham, has announced a nearly $5 million investment in the state’s wine grape sector to help with the development of new ‘lifestyle’ wine products — no- or low-alcohol (NOLO) wines, low in calories, for both new and traditional wine consumers.

Minister Basham said the project funded by the investment is designed to help the state’s wine industry deliver high-quality products that can take advantage of the significant market opportunities in the NOLO sector.

“No- or low-alcohol wine products are becoming increasingly popular and it’s predicted the sector could create more than 500 jobs and add tens of millions of dollars a year to South Australia’s economy,” Minister Basham said.

The project will be delivered in partnership with Wine Australia, Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI), University of Adelaide and Australian Grape & Wine.

The first step in the project will be the establishment of a pilot/trial-scale production research facility at the University of Adelaide’s Waite campus.

“This will be the only trial-scale facility in Australia and will provide a significant competitive advantage for the South Australian wine industry,” Minister Basham said.

Other components of the project will include research into process and sensory optimisation of the products and an examination of the market and regulatory framework to unlock future opportunities.

AWRI Managing Director Dr Mark Krstic said investing in this exciting new product category will capitalise on its significant growth potential in domestic and export markets.

“This funding will enable industry to undertake pilot-scale production of new no- and low-alcohol products and better understand the market opportunities in this consumer segment.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Ekaterina_Molchanova