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We want to be where the air is warm and the grapes are lush. Enter Lautus De-Alcoholised Wines. Sourced out of the balmy vineyards of South Africa, the collection of non-alcoholic wines marries a deep respect for the traditional winemaking process with the ease of mindful living—and drinking. The brand’s journey is one of inspiration, challenges, and earned expertise in the industry.
From a love-inspired idea to the vineyards and, now, our favorite wine glasses, founder and winemaker Reg Holder brings us through the ideation, creation, and enjoyment of Lautus. Oh, and a mouth watering collection of food pairings for autumn sipping…yes, please.
What inspired you to create Lautus and venture into the world of non-alcoholic wines?
Initially, Lautus sprung from my wife’s desires during her first pregnancy. We set off in pursuit of producing non-alcoholic wines that would portray the beautiful complexity, elegance, and finesse of premium wines.
Your winemaking process is intriguing. When you mention extracting and setting aside the wine's flavor to add it back later, could you share how the preservation process works in this context? What are the main challenges you encounter when rebuilding and reintegrating those flavors?
Before Lautus wines are dealcoholized, they are traditionally processed with a bit of ethanol. The beautiful flavors are removed and held in a dissolved and bound phase, which allows us to add them back to a non-alcoholic version of the wines—keeping the alcohol content below 0.5%. We refrain from making 0.0% wines in order to preserve the natural flavors from the original wines. The biggest challenge is creating volatile flavors in the glass.
Could you share why you specifically chose to source your grapes from South Africa?
The warm, dry nature of this region makes for high quality, healthy grapes. The result is naturally fruit-driven and opulent wines.
What is the most essential aspect that sets Lautus apart from other non-alcoholic wine options in the market?
We walk the vineyards, pay attention to the finer details, and select only the finest vineyard sites to source from. Our winemaking techniques are also exceptional.
You're part of a unique group of NA founders with an educational background in Viticulture and Enology. Has that background helped you throughout your journey at Lautus?
Yes, most definitely. A deep understanding of how to produce high quality wines is essential to venturing into this space. The key lies in selection rather than manipulation. The more you truly understand the process and the product, the more empowered you are to make the best decisions for producing the finest NA wines.
As the fall season approaches, could you recommend your favorite wine pairing that aligns well with the cooler months and offers a smooth transition?
Moving over to heartier, warmer dishes. Pair Lautus Chardonnay or Savvy Red with wild mushroom risotto or a creamy tagliatelle dish. The Rosé goes beautifully with slow roasted aubergine, parmesan, and tomato-based dishes or flavorful, Moroccan-inspired dishes…though we’d recommend avoiding too much spice. If Shakshuka is your thing, we love it with the Sparkling Rosé or Savvy red.
With the ongoing evolution of the non-alcoholic beverage industry, are there any upcoming trends or developments that you're eagerly looking forward to exploring alongside Lautus?
We’ll proudly continue on our journey of producing the highest quality non-alcoholic wines possible.
Our motto at Boisson is seeing the Glass Half Full. How do you think alcohol-free alternatives like yours allow people to see the glass half full?
Lautus De-Alcoholised Wine is a guilt-free, smart, and elegant choice. It’s made for enjoying life to the fullest without the hampering effects of alcohol. We embrace being comfortable with who you are, living in the moment, and taking it all in.
