What it is
Wine and a strip agent (usually water) flow on either side of a microporous hydrophobic membrane, without high pressure. Liquid does not wet the pore; ethanol crosses as vapour and dissolves on the other side. The wine itself does not go through the filter. That is osmotic distillation (also evaporative perstraction or membrane-contactor distillation).
It is not reverse osmosis (liquid flow under pressure through a dense membrane) and not thermal vacuum distillation. Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 authorises it as a membrane technique alongside RO, not as an RO add-on. Full page: osmotic distillation.
Why reds and 0.0 talk mention it
It fits when you want to cut strength without heating and without replacing the wine’s own water (volume loss is mainly the ethanol removed). It is often discussed for reds where phenolics matter. Reaching a true 0.0 %-range product usually needs several cycles; few commercial 0.0 % brands credit it on the label. Aroma remains a front: some volatiles can move with the ethanol, so rebuild plans still matter even when heat is avoided. As with any dealcoholisation route, final strength and nose are process decisions, not an automatic outcome of the method name.
Use this glossary entry for the RO≠OD distinction; send readers to the technology page for Memstar-style hybrids and operating detail.
Label / EU note
Authorised within the 2021/2117 membrane techniques. The bottle is named by category / shelf claims (dealcoholised, alcohol-free / 0.0%), not by “osmotic distillation”.
See also
- Full method: osmotic distillation
- Reverse osmosis · Dealcoholisation · Ethanol
- Hub: Methods
