By Jules Polonetsky 

Health concerns, the drinking habits of millennials and Gen Z and the advent of GLP-1s have reshaped the wine market in recent years. Alcohol-free wines have become big business. Considering designated drivers, pregnant consumers and health-conscious individuals, the demand for these options seems obvious; however, until recently, kosher consumers had few choices available to them. That is finally changing.

Royal Wine Corp. has launched J. Folk Unwine, described in the trade press as the first kosher-certified dealcoholized wines in the United States. And Divin, a Loire Valley project also distributed by Royal, is selling a 0% Chenin Blanc and a Sauvignon Blanc.

A Category That Stopped Being a Joke

IWSR, the drinks industry’s leading data house, estimates that global volumes of no-alcohol alternatives grew by roughly 9% in 2025. It projects a 36% volume growth between 2024 and 2029, reaching more than 18 billion servings annually. The American nonalcoholic market alone is forecast to approach $5 billion by 2028. This is more than a “Dry January” novelty: LVMH’s Moët Hennessy recently took a minority stake in the alcohol-free French Bloom brand, and the Michelin Guide has flagged nonalcoholic pairings as a trend shaping fine dining.

When buyers are asked why, the answer is mostly health. In an IWSR survey across 10 markets, 40% of those choosing nonalcoholic wine cited a healthy lifestyle.

Then there is the factor nobody in the wine trade saw coming. Millions of Americans now take semaglutide and its relatives, and a striking number of them simply stopped wanting to drink. A randomized trial published in The Lancet in May 2026 found that semaglutide reduced heavy drinking among people with alcohol use disorder, and a University of Colorado study of the oral form reported fewer heavy drinking days, less consumed per occasion and weaker cravings.

Why the Kosher Market Trailed Behind

In the kosher world, everything derived from grapes — alcoholic or not — carries the same strict supervision requirements as wine. Dealcoholization is usually contracted out to specialized plants with expensive equipment, meaning a mashgiach (supervisor) must oversee the wine through a process that often occurs away from the primary winery. This logistical hurdle explains much of the delay in bringing these products to market.

J. Folk Unwine

J. Folk is a South African brand based in Cape Town, well known for its kosher Pinotage, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz and innovative canned wines. Unwine debuts with two bottlings from the Swartland region: Rude Red, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage blend (approximately $22), and Lush Sparkling, a Chardonnay (approximately $25). They are initially rolling out in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, California, Maryland and Texas.

The producer is unusually open about the method, which I appreciate, because the method is the whole story. Each batch is vinified as a complete wine first, with full structure, balance and aromatic profile, before a single drop of alcohol is removed. It is then gently dealcoholized under vacuum, using distillation and spinning-cone column technology that lowers the surrounding pressure, so the ethanol lifts off at much cooler temperatures and the delicate aromas never take heat damage.

The most volatile aromatic compounds are separated and held aside while the acids, phenolics, minerals and structure stay intact. Those captured aroma fractions are then reintroduced, and the wine rebalanced for body, mouthfeel and length.

That final step matters, because alcohol carries body, aroma and a certain sweetness of texture. Strip it out of a still red and you notice the absence immediately. Both Unwine bottlings finish with roughly 16 grams of residual sugar, which is a deliberate decision rather than an accident: a little sweetness rebuilds some of the weight that ethanol used to supply. Serve them colder than you would serve the alcoholic equivalent.

For those counting calories, you can be pleased that The Rude Red runs about 20 calories per serving and the Lush Sparkling about 25. A glass of ordinary dry wine is closer to 120.

Divin

Divin also deserves attention for its pedigree. Produced by Les Vignobles Villebois in Touraine — the family behind well-regarded Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé labels — they farm approximately 100 hectares near the Loire châteaux. Having launched their “0.0” project in 2020, they now produce Chenin, Sauvignon, Rosé and Pinot Noir. The kosher Chenin Blanc is available for approximately $22 at KosherWine.com.

Note that these are all recent releases and not yet very widely available online, so keep an eye out for them in the upcoming weeks.

Fit for Kiddush or the Seder?

A hechsher certifies that a product is kosher, but it does not always indicate whether a beverage is fit for Kiddush or which blessing (bracha) it requires. Informally, I have been informed that the Star-K treats these wines similarly to grape juice, meaning they can be used for kiddush and for the four cups at the seder by those who cannot consume alcohol. This is a significant development for the seder in particular, where consuming four cups of wine can be an obstacle for those on medication. Although it may seem like an obvious conclusion, some halakhic (Jewish law) discussions consider grape juice an acceptable substitute because it is capable of being fermented. Furthermore, because the dealcoholization process involves replacing removed alcohol with water, some authorities evaluate whether this affects the wine’s status for Kiddush or changes the required blessing. As these products become more common, further rabbinic guidance is expected, but the current outlook is positive.

Finally, it is worth noting that “0% ABV” is often a term of art. J. Folk’s materials list these wines as 0% ABV, while technical notices indicate they may contain less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. For those for whom even trace amounts are a concern, this is an important distinction to keep in mind.

Jules Polonetsky is a Wine and Spirits Education Trust Level 3 certified wine expert who edits a wine education website at kosher-wine.org. He is a former consumers affairs commissioner for New York City.