Alcohol-free wine can retain about 0.5% alcohol, addiction specialist Andrey Sergeyev told RIA Novosti. He advised against driving after drinking it, citing residual ethanol and a possible response to familiar taste and smell.
Sergeyev said alcohol-free wine is produced by removing alcohol from regular wine, which contains 12% to 15% ethanol. Producers may use vacuum distillation, reverse osmosis or pasteurization. The finished drink can retain about 0.5% alcohol. He said consumer interest in the drink is growing worldwide, although it is rarely produced in Russia.
Sergeyev warned that several glasses could increase the total amount of ethanol consumed. A characteristic smell could also prompt a traffic inspector to test a driver. His advice not to drive is presented as the specialist’s recommendation, not a universal legal threshold for a breath test.
The doctor also described a possible psychosomatic response. He said familiar taste, smell and drinking rituals may prompt an expectation of alcohol and a nervous-system reaction involving dopamine. He listed possible behavioral changes such as animated gestures, increased talkativeness and reduced concentration. In some cases, he said, coordination and speech may be affected. Sergeyev stressed that this would not be toxic intoxication from the drink.
Alcohol-free wine is made from regular wine, which may initially contain 12% to 15% ethanol. Sergeyev named three methods for removing alcohol: vacuum distillation, reverse osmosis and pasteurization. The CDC also notes that some beverages labeled alcohol-free may contain up to 0.5% alcohol.