Method for the preparation of alcohol-free wine

A method for the manufacture of alcohol-free wine product having a remaining alcohol content of less than 5 g/Kg using a concentrating plant and a separate counter-current distillation column having a head and at least forty theoretical plates including the steps of

• first evaporating between 30-60% of a completely fermented wine in said concentrating plant to produce a de-alcoholized wine concentrate and a vapor condensate containing alcohol and aromatic substances,
• then feeding said condensate to a supply location in the middle third of said column to separate said condensate into a fraction comprising alcohol and aromatic substances within the boiling range of 77.degree. to 97.degree. C.
• withdrawing said fraction comprising alcohol from said column at a location above said supply location,
• withdrawing said aromatic substances at a location below said supply location,
• mixing together said aromatic substances, said dealcoholized wine or fruit juice concentrate, dearomatized grape juice or fruit juice and mineral-free or distilled water,
• impregnating the resultant mixture with carbon dioxide,
• stabilizing said alcohol-free wine product against microbiological spoilage and
• adding anti-oxidants so as to yield said alcohol-free wine product ready for consumption.