Introducing: Mid Strength Wines!
Jen Pfeiffer & Sam Plunkett unveil all-new lower strength wines
An initiative borne out of Angel feedback
It wasn’t a quick process because we wanted to get it right. Sam and Jen worked really hard to deliver high quality versions of the wines that are loved by Angels.
Sam and Jen utilised a process called "Reverse Osmosis" to reduce the alcohol. This process involves separating the wine into a wine concentrate and an alcohol permeate. The permeate is heated and passed through a membrane that filters out some of the alcohol, while leaving other important components intact. Once the desired alcohol level is reached, the wine and permeate are recombined and the Mid Strength wine is ready to be prepared for bottling.
This cutting-edge scientific technique has resulted in a wine with reduced alcohol, that doesn't create sweet wines or compromise on it's incredibly full flavour.
Don't just take our word for it...
This isn't just the best Mid Strength sparkling wine I've tasted but it's up there with any sparkling wine! A fresh refreshing wine that won't have to wait for a special occasion.
This Shiraz is excellent with great flavour, not too heavy, with a good finish. It is ready to compete with full strength wines. Excellent work Jen.
Not what you expect from Mid Strength wine but done beautifully. I can see this wine becoming a favourite in my house. Thanks for being brave enough to try this out Jen! It’s a fantastic outcome.
Mid Strength FAQs
Why is it so hard to make Mid Strength wine that tastes like wine?
Jen: What’s really interesting about making a Mid Strength wine is the lower alcohol means you lose body and “mouthfeel”. Many Mid Strength wines have been pumped full of sugar to try and repair that, which makes them overly sweet. I didn’t want to do that. I really leaned on my skillset to deliver body and it’s actually quite challenging. You don’t realise the benefits of alcohol to flavour, taste and mouthfeel until you take it out.
[To be honest,] If you want that big, full-bodied “cuddle in a glass” Shiraz, your [best] option is a full strength. But if you want to enjoy some of the lovely flavours of the wine, because you’ve still got the oak coming through, the tannin and the red fruits, but understand you’re not going to have that massive cuddle, then that’s where the Mid Strength lives.
Angels today were really surprised that the wines weren’t [overly] sweet, which has been their past experience. I think most people were surprised with how much they enjoyed the wines and how they felt this was really just another option and gives them another opportunity [to enjoy wine]. We shared a lunch, we all had four glasses of wine and we feel fantastic.
Sam: It’s just another option to have in your cellar or in your fridge.
Jen: They’re different wines for different occasions.
What does the process involve?
Sam: We use a technique called ‘reverse osmosis’, which strips the alcohol out. Then you need to ensure the flavours and feel are put back in.
Jen: The most asked question I got was around the process - the Angels were really interested and really had that thirst for knowledge.
Angel Leonie says it was really interesting to learn the wine is not diluted at all, and several Angels admitted they were initially surprised to find the Mid Strength range was ever so slightly more expensive. Learning the complicated process behind the development of the wine helped them understand why.
How much Mid Strength wine can I drink and still be able to drive?
Sam: The best way to gauge how much you can drink is to check the standard drinks on the bottle and apply that as you normally would, using guidelines around alcohol consumption and driving. It’s not well understood, 10 grams of alcohol makes up one standard drink.
Jen: These sorts of wines are great for those nights when you’re the driver, make great mid-week options and they are definitely very ‘session-able’. It’s not a zero wine, so there is some alcohol there. Mid Strength lies somewhere in between.
Sam: And in our case, we’re generally removing about a third of the alcohol.
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