NoLo Wines: the rise of alcohol-free and low-alcohol wine

The winery launches Nieto Senetiner 0% Brut, Argentina’s first and only true alcohol-free sparkling wine. Made from 100% wine and 0% alcohol, crafted with Pinot Noir grapes from the Uco Valley, it stays true to Nieto Senetiner’s innovative spirit. With no added aromas or flavorings and just 15 calories per glass, it aims to preserve the character and identity of the winery’s sparkling wines. Its distinctive salmon hue and elegance reflect its Pinot Noir origin and house style.

The detail: behind Nieto Senetiner’s 0.0% sparkling wine is a thoughtfully designed enological process from the very start, led by Santiago Mayorga and Roberto González, blending innovation and experience in a single glass.

Finca Flichman’s Low-Alcohol Chardonnay (9%) offers a lighter, more relaxed way to enjoy wine without sacrificing freshness or identity. Aromatic and subtle, it combines delicate fruit notes with a touch of minerality, making it refreshing and easy to drink—ideal for any time of day. A white wine for those seeking a lighter, versatile and contemporary glass, where balance is at the heart of the experience.

The detail: Finca Flichman is one of Argentina’s oldest wineries, founded in 1910, and has adapted to more than a century of change without losing its identity.

Deep violet in color, with intense aromas of red and black fruits, a light body and fruity profile, this Domaine Bousquet Malbec has just 9.5% alcohol. It’s made from certified organic vineyards in the Uco Valley, harvested early and fermented with native yeasts.

The detail: beyond its low calorie and alcohol content, LoCa is vegan, gluten-free, sulfite-free and certified in regenerative agriculture.

Crios Sustentia Chardonnay is a Mendoza white that understands the moment: fresh, elegant and with just 8.9% alcohol. Early harvesting in the Uco Valley naturally reduces grape sugar, resulting in a lighter profile with fewer calories but plenty of character. With balanced acidity and a refreshing edge, it’s best enjoyed well chilled, pairs with light dishes and fits perfectly into new ways of drinking. It’s also part of Sustentia, the Críos sub-line focused on sustainability, ecological viticulture and innovation—where conscious enjoyment is a real practice, not just a slogan.

The detail: at Susana Balbo Wines, whites and rosés make up as much as 40% of the portfolio—more than double the national average.

The future of wine is also being written through science. After two years of research, Catena Zapata presents Domaine Elena de Mendoza, a premium line exploring new territory with alcohol-free and low-alcohol wines made from verjus—the unfermented juice of green Chardonnay grapes from the Uco Valley. The range includes two alcohol-free carbonated drinks infused with botanicals, and two sparkling wines at just 7% alcohol, Uco Mineral and Uco Stones, combining verjus with dry Chardonnay. Aromatic, elegant and balanced, they open up a new way to think about and enjoy wine without sacrificing experience or sophistication.

The detail: the use of verjus—unusual in Argentine viticulture—allows for lower sugar, alcohol and calories without sacrificing the complexity that defines this winery’s wines.

Andeluna Wine Not, one of the market’s first low-alcohol Malbecs (9.5%), comes from Uco Valley vineyards. It challenges the grape’s tradition through early harvesting and minimal intervention, prioritizing freshness and vibrant fruit. It reflects how a mountain winery with over 70 hectares of estate vineyards looks toward new ways of drinking without losing terroir or style.

The detail: the winery also produces Andeluna 1300 Natural Sweet Torrontés, made from grapes grown on an old pergola in the Uco Valley, with just 6.5% alcohol.

This Sauvignon Blanc from Bodega Niven, born in Pareditas at the southern edge of the Uco Valley, is a personal bet by the winemaker on low-alcohol wines. Achieved through early harvesting, skin maceration and fermentation, and aging in concrete, it delivers freshness, vibrant acidity and lightness without losing character or complexity. Ideal for warm days, it shows how the region’s cold climate and austere soils can produce light yet distinctive wines.

This unusual Ancellotta Malbec from Mauricio Lorca’s El Mirador line—with just 9.5% alcohol and sourced from early-harvested historic vineyards in eastern Mendoza—is a fresh, fruit-forward red that breaks with the logic of high alcohol levels. It shows how a winery dedicated to reviving old varieties can translate them into a light, characterful wine without losing its connection to terroir. A less conventional varietal in the local market, but one that deserves a place among the next bottles to discover.

The detail: Mauricio Lorca was one of the first winemakers to champion the revival of uncommon varieties in Mendoza, such as Ancellotta, working with old vineyards in the east and small-scale production.