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Mindful choices: Dealcoholized, low-alcohol, and non-alcoholic products at the LCBO

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The onset of a new year often ushers in new goals and mindful choices. Many Ontarians seek out alternative options to maximize their budget and pare back by enjoying Lighter Choice products. But the trend has been more than a New Year’s resolution, experiencing 189% in growth since 2022. 

No matter the time of the year, we help customers make informed drinking choices by shedding some light on what Lighter Choices means and how customers can find lighter choice products, whether shopping in-store or online. 

What kind of beverages are we talking about when we say ‘Lighter Choices’?

Our selection of over 1000+ Lighter Choices products includes wine, beers, ciders, and coolers. In fact, we have the largest assortment of lighter choices products in Ontario. 

What is the difference between dealcoholized, low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks?

Low-alcohol and dealcoholized wines have 1.1% alcohol by volume (ABV) and non-alcoholic beers, ciders and coolers contain less than 0.5% ABV.  

Dealcoholized wine has a reduced alcohol content compared to regular wine. Winemakers employ an additional step in the winemaking process to remove the alcohol content.

Fact: The Canadian Food and Drug Regulations require beverages containing 1.1% or more ABV to declare the content on the label.

How can I find low sugar wine? 

Sugar levels alone don’t always correlate with sweetness. That’s why LCBO’s state-of-art Quality Assurance Lab developed The Sweetness Algorithm to measure residual sugar and acidity levels in wine. We assign each wine a sweetness indicator, so customers know how sweet or dry the wine tastes before they try it. Find sweetness descriptors online or on shelves in-store (watch the video below).  

If you’re interested in a wine with 5 grams of sugar or less per litre, look for one from a region with cool climates; hot climates typically produce wines with higher alcohol content. You’ll find the sugar grams per litre (g/L) listed right on the product description on the website or on the store shelf label. 

How can labels help me find a lighter alcohol wine? 

Regular wine usually contains 13 to 14% ABV, whereas light wine has 9% ABV or less. You’ll find the alcohol content (% alc./vol.) listed on the product label on the store shelf and on the product’s website description on LCBO.com, along with descriptions of the wine’s sweetness and the grams of sugar per litre.

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If in doubt, check out our lighter choices page on lcbo.com, and ask our customer service representatives in store for a product recommendation.