German family winery taps into zero-alcohol trend [Video]

Alcohol-free drinks are becoming ever more popular, especially with health-conscious younger people — a trend cheered by a small German winery based in a Rhine Valley castle.

While demand for zero-alcohol beer has risen strongly, the family business is betting on similar growth in the wine sector, using a technique it pioneered more than a century ago.

“We are seeing this growth in demand and it’s going strong,” said Bernhard Jung, who runs the Carl Jung wine estate based in the picturesque town of Ruedesheim.

Germany — better known for its storied beer-brewing tradition — may seem an unlikely place for the alcohol-free wine industry to flourish, but the Jung family had a head start.

Back in 1907, Bernhard Jung’s grandfather Dr Carl Jung invented a process to gently extract alcohol from wine while preserving the original taste.

The winemaker hit on the idea when he risked losing a loyal …