The Italian government has approved the production of non-alcoholic wine after years of resisting the move.

The ministries of finance and agriculture in Rome signed a decree that officially establishes the tax framework for domestic production of alcohol-free wines.

The Italian wine industry waited several months for the final approval.

Since 2021, wine from which the alcohol has been removed has also been considered wine in the EU.

Italy had long resisted adopting this regulation, with winemakers fearing a dilution of Italian wine culture.

Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party also initially spoke out against it.

However, in 2024 , there was a turnaround as Italy responded to the growing popularity of so-called NoLo wines with no or low alcohol content and cleared the way for the production of de-alcoholized wine.

However, a clear legal framework for this was still missing. The decree that has now been signed provides clarity on excise duties, licences and distribution.

It also regulates the approval, storage, administrative obligations and transport regulations for NoLo wines.

This will enable wineries to finalise ongoing projects, which, according to Lollobrigida, opens up new opportunities.

“I am confident that our producers will achieve excellence in this sector as well,’’ the minister said.

Representatives of the wine industry expressly welcomed the move.

The demand for wines with lower alcohol content can no longer be considered a fad, but rather a long-term change, they said.

(dpa/NAN)