Why Our Label Says Alcohol-Removed, Not Just Non-Alcoholic
No and low-alcohol wines are a growing category, and with that comes a lot of confusing terminology. You’ve probably seen wines labeled as non-alcoholic, alcohol-free, dealcoholized, or—like you’ll find on our bottles—alcohol-removed.
So, what do all these terms actually mean—and why does it matter?
The FDA has specific guidelines about how no and low-alcohol beverages can describe themselves. The goal is to help consumers understand the difference between drinks that began as traditional wine and had the alcohol removed, and those that never contained alcohol in the first place.
At Tomorrow Cellars, our wines start as fully fermented wine—just like traditional wine—and then have the alcohol gently removed. That sets us apart from other brands in the category that may use the term alcohol-free but are really offering grape or other fruit juices flavored with teas, botanicals, and herbs. These are beverages that have 0.0% ABV on the label.
Let’s break down the most common terms you’ll see on labels:
Alcohol-Free
Usually means the drink was never fermented—no alcohol to remove. Instead, it’s made from ingredients like grape and other fruit juices, botanicals, teas, herbs, and spices.
Alcohol-Removed
This is what you’ll see on our labels. It means our wines were fully fermented—just like traditional wine—then had the alcohol gently removed. The FDA requires we use this as an identifier because it’s possible there are alcohol molecules left over. However, our wines clock in around 0.35% ABV—that’s actually less than what naturally occurs in a ripe banana. One question we get all time is: Are alcohol-removed wines actually alcohol free? The answer is yes, we know the <0.5% ABV label can be confusing but just think about the banana. Or a glass of orange juice, that also naturally has about 0.5% ABV.
Dealcoholized
This one can be used interchangeably with “alcohol-removed.” It means the wine started as traditional wine and had the alcohol taken out. The FDA allows this term on labels, but we use it less—because honestly, it’s hard to spell and say. Just us?
Non-Alcoholic
A catchall for wines with less than 0.5% ABV, this term shows up everywhere—but if we’re getting technical, wine products that only have this label are just juice. The FDA requires real wine products, like Tomorrow Cellars, to lead with alcohol-removed so the consumer knows it started as real fermented wine.
Understanding these terms helps you make informed choices about what’s in your glass. At Tomorrow Cellars, we’re proud to offer real wine, made differently—with fermentation, structure, and complexity intact, and just the alcohol gently removed.