Noticias, August 2008

Torres launches 0,5% alcohol wine

Leading Spanish producer Miguel Torres has launched the country's first ever wine that is almost totally alcohol free.

Torres, which produces about 3m cases of Spanish wine a year, said the wine answered to the needs of those who did not want to drink alcohol, but still wanted to enjoy the taste of wine.

'Drivers and pregnant women, for example,' said Fina Soler, a spokeswoman for the company.

The first bottles of the white wine, called Natureo, went on sale in Spain earlier this month. It is made from the Muscat grape, and the alcohol content is reduced to 0.5% by using a spinning cone, an extractor that separates alcohol from wine.

The wine costs around €7 (£5.5, US$10.4). The company said it had no plans to make a red, and will limit sales to Spain for the present.

The Natuero launch follows that of a reduced alcohol Spanish wine, Casa de la Ermita, which has an alcohol level of 6.5%.