Process for producing alcohol-reduced or alcohol-free beverages made by natural fermentation

US4867997A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Peter Eckes KG MBH · DE

Inventors

• Alfred Wiesenberger · Wiesbaden, DE
• Rolf Marr · Zeltweg, AT
• Erich Kolb · Bühl, DE
• Jens A. Schildmann · Partenheim, DE
• Reinhard Weisrock · Nieder-Olm, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 10, 1986
• Grant date: Sep 19, 1989
• Expiry date: Dec 10, 2006

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S203/20
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process is described for preparing in particular alcohol-free wine in which by extraction with supercritical CO.sub.2 firstly a specific aroma fraction with limited ethanol content is separated from the starting wine. The residual wine is then subjected to a vacuum distillation in which apart from the complete separation of the ethanol from the residual wine a fraction of more difficulty extractable aromatic substances not affected by the extraction is recovered which in the end together with the extract is added to the dealcoholized residual wine again to obtain an alcohol-free wine. The method permits an almost complete removal of the alcohol content without detrimentally affecting the basic wine and with retention of all the aromatic and flavoring substances characteristic of the wine.