“All things in moderation” is an age-old mantra, the tiny voice in the back of our heads reminding us to savor rather than overindulge. While this can be hard—especially with good wine—the rise of lower-alcohol and non-alcoholic options makes it easier to linger over drinks with good company. Let’s raise a glass to drinking differently.
How Americans are changing the way they drink
When it comes to drinking habits, the moderation principle is spreading like wildfire. NIQ reports that the vast majority—93%—of people who buy non-alcoholic beer, wine, or spirits also buy alcohol. Non-alcoholic or lower-alcohol options are often found right alongside their alcoholic counterparts, free of partiality.
In fact, IWSR found that 71% of legal-drinking-age Gen Z adults in the U.S. drink—up from 68% two years ago. Participation in drinking is steady; frequency and amount per occasion are dropping. Beverage makers have responded to the habit shift by expanding consumer options.
What counts as “low-alcohol”?
ABV, or alcohol by volume, tells you what percentage of a drink is pure alcohol. The higher the ABV, the more alcohol the drink contains.
Low-alcohol depends entirely on the original version of the beverage. For example, an average glass of wine is 12-14% ABV, so you can expect the low-alcohol version to be noticeably lower.
Wine spritzers, session beers, lower-ABV canned cocktails, and spritzes are all examples of drinks that fit into the low-alcohol category. They offer the ritual and flavor of their original counterpart, while being lighter in alcohol.
One important distinction: lower alcohol doesn’t have to mean less flavor. Reducing the alcohol typically creates a lighter and brighter wine, leaving room for a refreshing but flavorful drinking experience.
Non-Alcoholic, Alcohol-Free, Dealcoholized: What Do the Labels Mean?
The language around non-alcoholic drinks can be confusing, particularly because similar terms don’t always mean exactly the same thing. If you find yourself puzzled over the difference between dealcoholized wine, alcohol-free, and non-alcoholic beverages, we’ve got you.
- Alcohol-free means a beverage contains no alcohol, or 0.0% ABV. Drinks like sparkling water, soda, and botanical beverages didn't start with alcohol, so there's nothing to remove.
- Non-alcoholic generally means a beverage contains less than 0.5% ABV. Non-alcoholic beer, dealcoholized wine, and kombucha fall into this category.
- Dealcoholized (or alcohol-removed) wine is made as an alcoholic drink first, then processed to remove most of the alcohol. It may still contain a small amount.
Want to learn more about dealcoholized wine? It starts as the wine we know (and love). Grapes are fermented, and the resulting wine is processed with techniques such as vacuum distillation or reverse osmosis to remove the alcohol while keeping as much aroma and flavor as possible. The result differs from grape juice because it previously went through fermentation and can retain the dryness, acidity, and structure associated with wine.
Choosing a Drink by Occasion
The best drink isn’t necessarily the one with the highest or lowest ABV—it’s the one that best fits the moment.
- A long afternoon: Think BBQs, beach days, picnics, and games. Something lower in alcohol can be easy to sip over several hours while keeping things light and refreshing.
- Dinner with friends: Sometimes a glass of wine is exactly what the occasion calls for. Gathering around the table with a special bottle enhances the meal, complements the food, and provides the evening with a sense of occasion.
- A weeknight or early morning: When you have somewhere to be tomorrow—or simply don’t feel like drinking—choose something alcohol-free or non-alcoholic that still feels special. A thoughtfully made mocktail provides the ritual without the alcohol.
- A party with a mixed crowd: Give everyone something to choose from. A bottle of bubbles, a few low-alcohol options, and some non-alcoholic drinks can make a gathering feel inclusive without making anyone’s choice a big deal—no fuss and no side-eye. Shop our party collection.
You can also mix things up throughout the evening. Sometimes called “zebra striping,” alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks gives you yet another avenue for enjoying the moment. You might have a glass of wine with dinner, switch to sparkling water, and decide later whether you want another drink.
Where RD Winery Fits
At RD Winery, we make wine, but we also believe there's room at the table for drinks with less alcohol or none.
- May Jade Wine Spritzer is for the long afternoon. It's a lower-alcohol wine spritzer at 5% ABV, made in Napa with Grüner Veltliner as the base wine and no artificial flavors or sweeteners. It comes in three unexpected flavors, named for places across Vietnam: Mekong Mule features plum, ginger, lime, osmanthus, and lemongrass; Hanoi Hustle brings satsuma mandarin, lime, and ginger together; and Saigon Summer blends kiwi, star fruit, and pink guava.
- Sen Sparkling Water is ideal for the weeknight. Named after the Vietnamese word for lotus, Sen is a non-alcoholic sparkling water with all natural flavors. It also comes in the Mekong Mule, Hanoi Hustle, and Saigon Summer flavors—perfect for mixing a mocktail.
- Lucky Press is for the dinner table or as a mocktail mixer. It’s a non-alcoholic Cabernet Sauvignon grape juice made with Napa Valley grapes. Unlike dealcoholized wine, it was never fermented, so it retains the natural fruit-forward character of the grapes.
Together, this collection of low alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages represents a simple idea: there isn’t one right way to drink. As a Vietnamese-owned and led winery, we’re interested in making space for different preferences, different traditions, and different occasions—whether that means a glass of wine, something lighter, or nothing alcoholic at all.
FAQs
What is considered a low-alcohol drink?
A low-alcohol drink has noticeably less alcohol than the usual version of that drink. Most still wines land around 12% to 15% ABV. Wine spritzers, session beers, and many canned spritzes are closer to 4% to 6%.
Is 5% ABV low for wine?
Yes. At 5% ABV, a wine spritzer has roughly a third of the alcohol, sip for sip, of a typical glass of wine. Serving size still matters. A 12-ounce can at 5% and a 5-ounce pour of 12% wine each hold about one standard drink. May Jade Wine Spritzer is 5% ABV and lower in alcohol than our bottled still and sparkling wines.
What’s the difference between non-alcoholic and alcohol-free?
“Non-alcoholic” generally means a drink has less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, while “alcohol-free” means it has none at all. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but the difference is worth knowing if you want zero. When it matters to you, check the label for the exact ABV rather than relying on the name.
Can non-alcoholic drinks contain any alcohol?
Some can, in small amounts. Drinks made as wine or beer and then dealcoholized may keep a trace of alcohol, typically under 0.5% ABV. Drinks that never contained alcohol, like sparkling water, sodas and grape juice, have none to begin with. If you’re avoiding alcohol entirely, look for “alcohol-free” or “0.0%” on the label.
What is dealcoholized wine?
Dealcoholized wine is wine that’s made the traditional way, fermented from grapes, and then has most of its alcohol removed. Producers use methods like vacuum distillation or reverse osmosis, which draw the alcohol out while trying to keep the aroma and flavor. The result is usually labeled non-alcoholic and may still contain a trace of alcohol.
Is non-alcoholic wine the same as grape juice?
No. If a beverage is called non-alcoholic wine, it started as wine and had its alcohol removed, while grape juice is never fermented at all. Dealcoholized wine keeps some of the wine’s dryness and structure, and grape juice keeps the fruit’s natural sweetness. Lucky Press is a small-batch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grape juice, never fermented.
What does “sober curious” mean?
“Sober curious” describes someone rethinking their relationship with alcohol without necessarily giving it up. The phrase was popularized by writer Ruby Warrington’s 2018 book of the same name. For some people it means taking a month off. For others it means asking, drink by drink, whether they actually want one. It’s less a rule than a habit of paying attention.
What is zebra striping?
Zebra striping means alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks over the course of an evening. You might have a glass of wine, then a sparkling water, then decide what’s next. It’s become common enough to have a name. NielsenIQ found that 47% of people at bars and restaurants mix alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in the same visit.
Drinking Differently
However you pour it, the best drink is the one that suits the moment. Maybe tonight that's a glass of your favorite red, and maybe tomorrow it's a crisp, lower-alcohol wine spritzer on the porch or a mocktail with a good friend. We think that's the fun of it.
Shop RD Winery’s May Jade Wine Spritzer and Sen Sparkling Water collections online or visit our tasting room to build your own mixed pack of beverages to suit your next occasion.
Cheers to drinking your way! 🥂
