PARIS, Oct 12 — How can brands attract new consumers to alcohol-free wine? At this year’s SIAL Paris international food fair, Languedoc-Roussillon producer Domaines Pierre Chavin will present new wines featuring two highly innovative ingredients: stevia and 24-carat gold leaf flakes.

October 16-20, food industry representatives from 104 countries will gather in Paris-Nord Villepinte to showcase their latest innovations. SIAL is a professional trade fair, but it is one that is of interest to the general public because it is a venue for the presentation of new ingredients that will soon be turning up on our plates. Among the plethora of new products, Domaines Pierre Chavin will present an alcohol-free wine that contains no more than seven kilocalories.

The Languedoc winemaker has successfully reduced the level of alcohol in this tipple to 0 per cent without sacrificing its taste. However, the originality of this wine, which has been named Silhouet’, resides in the addition of stevia, a natural sweetener that is 100 times more potent than sugar.

Silhouet’, an alcohol-free wine with only seven kilocalories. — AFP-Relaxnews pic

The South American plant, which has been approved for use in France since 2009, is now used in a wide range of sodas and chocolates, but this is the first time it has been added to wine to give it a sweeter taste that does not translate into an impact on bathroom scales.

Silhouet’ comes in three versions: a white chardonnay, a red merlot, and a sparkling white. The range, which will be officially launched at the trade show, will retail for six euros (nine euros for the sparkling version). The wines can be ordered from Domaines-pierre-chavin.com and will also be available from selected wine shops. Gold in a bottle

Also at the SIAL, Domaines Pierre Chavin plans to launch Gold Arabesque: a sparkling wine that is as dazzling to the eye as it is to the palette. Twenty-four carat gold flakes have been added to this bubbly chardonnay to create a beverage that is not only alcohol-free and pleasing to the eye, but also therapeutic.

The consumption of gold helps to combat stress, relieve depression, stimulate collagen production and reduce wrinkles. Count on spending €65 (RM300) for a bottle of this elixir, which also exists in an alcoholic version: Folie de Pierre, which retails at €55.

The SIAL Paris will run October 16-20. For more information: www.sialparis.com — AFP-Relaxnews