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In the past 20 years, alcohol levels in wine have increased significantly. This trend, observed in numerous wine-producing regions, is related to a variety of factors, including global warming and the selection of varietals that produce high levels of sugar, as well as the evolution of winemaking practices that encourage the harvest of very mature grapes. The increase in the degree of alcohol in wines is a concern for several reasons. On the one hand, in strong concentrations ethanol can affect the aromatic properties of wines due to its interaction with certain aroma molecules. On the other hand, the current market is in tune with consumers’ health concerns and prevention policies, and is thus more interested in easy-to-drink wines with moderate alcohol levels. More over, in certain countries there are economic constraints due to the taxes imposed on the degree of alcohol. Therefore, there is a strong demand for wines with lower alcohol levels. This demand has led the industry and researchers to consider various strategies that rely on interventions at different levels, such as the selection of varietals or physical intervention at different phases in the fermentation process. One attractive option consists of utilizing yeast starters that produce less alcohol for the same amount of sugar consumed. The objective of this article is to expose advances in research in this field. After presenting the situation and the scientific issues related to the development of strains that produce less alcohol, we will describe the main approaches developed recently to reach this objective, as well as strategies for the future.
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