Which post-fermentation adjustment can remove alcohol from wine?

• A. Removal of alcohol (reverse osmosis, spinning cone)
• B. Color adjustment
• C. Filtration
• D. Blending with water

Answer: (A)

Removing alcohol after fermentation is called de‑alcoholization, and certain techniques are designed exactly for that post‑fermentation adjustment. Reverse osmosis and spinning cone methods work by physically separating ethanol from the wine, lowering the ABV while striving to preserve many of the wine’s aromas and flavors. In reverse osmosis, wine passes through a semi‑permeable membrane so that ethanol (and some water) can be removed as a permeate, leaving a low‑alcohol concentrate that’s often recombined with aroma components. The spinning cone column uses centrifugal action and controlled heating to strip ethanol while trying to retain volatile aroma compounds.

Color adjustment, filtration, and blending with water don’t remove alcohol. Color adjustment changes pigments to alter appearance, filtration targets solids and clarity rather than alcohol content, and blending with water would dilute everything, including flavor, but isn’t a precise or reliable way to reduce ABV.