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- Chris Boiling
- 2025-04-08
The Catena family has unveiled its first-ever range of low- and no-alcohol wines. Domaine Elena de Mendoza (Domaine EdeM) is named after Elena Maza, Laura Catena’s mother and the Catena family matriarch.
An advocate of one glass of wine per day and the Mediterranean diet, Elena started to mix her wine with soda as she got older, when she noticed wine affected her more strongly. She did not particularly enjoy wine with soda, so she asked her daughters, Laura and Adrianna Catena, to make her a no/low alcohol drink, although she clarifies: “I prefer wine these days, especially when we go out to dinner with family and friends.”
Laura challenged the Catena Institute of Wine to develop a delicious non-alcoholic wine. This creative project builds upon the Catena Institute’s capabilities in sensory analysis and wine chemistry, leading to a range of wines, from dealcoholised EdeM ROSÆ to botanical-infused Chardonnays, Blonde and Brunette, to the 7% EdeM Uco Mineral and Uco Stones.
The Catena Institute of Wine developed the wines under the direction of winemaker Agustín Silva, an expert in vermouth, distillation, and botanicals.
Dante McDermott Catena, fifth generation of the Catena family, is part of this project – continuing his family’s legacy while also representing a new generation of wine lovers. As consumers embrace no- and low-alcohol alternatives, he looks forward to helping the Catena Institute of Wine contribute its expertise to this changing landscape.
“My generation is leading the no/low movement, and I get it. Wine is about so much more than alcohol – it’s about culture, bringing people together, the flavours, and the ritual. Some nights, you just want a break from drinking but still want to be part of the experience. That’s why I’m excited to be working with the Catena Institute of Wine and Agustín Silva to create high-quality no/low options that let people enjoy wine in a new way.”
The range has launched in the USA with Domaine EdeM N.0 ROSÆ:
A sparkling wine dealcoholised to 0.0% alcohol content using vacuum cold distillation, N.0 ROSÆ is made from Airén grapes in Spain. A profoundly floral, elegant and enjoyable rosé with hints of melon and sweet lemon. A 148ml serving contains 25 calories.
Price is around $28.
Domaine EdeM plans to launch the following wines in the USA in the coming months:
The non-alcoholic wines, Blonde and Brunette, are produced as follows:
Canopy: Why have you done this?
Dante: “The motivation for Domaine EdeM comes from the Catena family’s focus on alcohol consumption in moderation. Our family matriarch, Elena Maza, has always been an advocate of one glass of wine per day as part of the Mediterranean diet. As she got older, she noticed that wine affected her more strongly, so she asked her daughters, Laura and Adrianna to make her a no/low alcohol drink that she could enjoy in addition to her daily glass of wine. Laura challenged the Catena Institute of Wine with this project, a research organisation with advanced capabilities in wine chemistry and sensory analysis. Thus, E de M Rosae, Blonde, Brunette, Uco Stones, and Uco Mineral were born.”
What’s the reaction been?
Dante: “I would use the words ‘excited’ and ‘curious’ as descriptors for the wine world’s reaction to E de M. We featured Rosae at Wine Paris and ProWein in early 2025 which created some buzz around the new brand. Wine lovers often express excitement for sharing E de M with the people in their life who, for any given reason, can’t drink alcohol. People are often curious about how we are able to replicate the taste of alcohol, which we respond to by telling them about the infusion of botanicals, a technique we use in the production of Blonde and Brunette. For Rosae, we tell them about the vacuum distillation process by which we remove the alcohol from the finished wine.”
Why have you chosen to make it from Airén grapes in Spain?
Dante: “We selected Airén grapes from central Spain, Toledo, as extensive trials revealed that not all grape varieties respond uniformly to dealcoholisation. We identified these high-quality Airén grapes, cultivated in a "vaso" system, which performed exceptionally well during dealcoholisation and the subsequent maceration with rose petals.”
Why are you just launching it in the USA? Has that changed with the tariffs turmoil?
Dante: “The USA has the largest consumer base for no/low products. Despite the tariffs on wine from Argentina and Europe, we still consider the US to be a major market going forward. Tariffs imply a lower selling margin for Domaine E de M, and/or a higher price for the customer, both of which could affect the quantity of production and sale.”
When will you roll it out to other markets?
Dante: “Our other EdeM products, Blonde, Brunette, Uco Stones, and Uno Mineral are for sale in Argentina. We are exploring markets in Europe, South America, and North America for viability.”
An advocate of one glass of wine per day and the Mediterranean diet, Elena started to mix her wine with soda as she got older, when she noticed wine affected her more strongly. She did not particularly enjoy wine with soda, so she asked her daughters, Laura and Adrianna Catena, to make her a no/low alcohol drink, although she clarifies: “I prefer wine these days, especially when we go out to dinner with family and friends.”
Laura challenged the Catena Institute of Wine to develop a delicious non-alcoholic wine. This creative project builds upon the Catena Institute’s capabilities in sensory analysis and wine chemistry, leading to a range of wines, from dealcoholised EdeM ROSÆ to botanical-infused Chardonnays, Blonde and Brunette, to the 7% EdeM Uco Mineral and Uco Stones.
The Catena Institute of Wine developed the wines under the direction of winemaker Agustín Silva, an expert in vermouth, distillation, and botanicals.
Dante McDermott Catena, fifth generation of the Catena family, is part of this project – continuing his family’s legacy while also representing a new generation of wine lovers. As consumers embrace no- and low-alcohol alternatives, he looks forward to helping the Catena Institute of Wine contribute its expertise to this changing landscape.
“My generation is leading the no/low movement, and I get it. Wine is about so much more than alcohol – it’s about culture, bringing people together, the flavours, and the ritual. Some nights, you just want a break from drinking but still want to be part of the experience. That’s why I’m excited to be working with the Catena Institute of Wine and Agustín Silva to create high-quality no/low options that let people enjoy wine in a new way.”
The range has launched in the USA with Domaine EdeM N.0 ROSÆ:
A sparkling wine dealcoholised to 0.0% alcohol content using vacuum cold distillation, N.0 ROSÆ is made from Airén grapes in Spain. A profoundly floral, elegant and enjoyable rosé with hints of melon and sweet lemon. A 148ml serving contains 25 calories.
Price is around $28.
Key stages in the winemaking
- Grape selection: Careful selection of high-quality Airén grapes at their optimal ripeness.
- Fermentation: After careful pressing, the juice undergoes low-temperature fermentation.
- Vacuum distillation: The wine is then gently vacuum-distilled to remove alcohol, preserving the wine’s aromas, flavours, and freshness. Low energy consumption technology used.
- Rose infusion: Natural rose petals are infused, adding floral aromas.
- Bottling: With fine bubbles.
Domaine EdeM plans to launch the following wines in the USA in the coming months:
- Non-alcoholic sparkling wines, Blonde and Brunette, made from early-harvest Chardonnay verjus (for acidity and vinous character) and Tupungato Chardonnay grape must, infused with select botanicals. A 148ml serving contains 62 calories for Blonde and 97 calories for Brunette.
- Sparkling wines made from Chardonnay with low-alcohol content: Uco Mineral and Uco Stones. A 148ml serving contains 78 calories for Uco Mineral and 105 calories for Uco Stones.
The non-alcoholic wines, Blonde and Brunette, are produced as follows:
- Harvest: Uco Valley Chardonnay grapes are picked in late January for verjus and in February for grape must.
- Pressing: The grapes are pressed to extract the base juice.
- Cooling: The juice rests in cold storage throughout the winter to stabilise.
- Infusion: Botanical ingredients are infused in August, selected in precise proportions by the Catena Institute of Wine team to create fruity, herbal, fresh flavors with elegance, delicacy and a vinous character.
- Master blend: Once defined, the carbonation process begins to achieve fine bubbles that enhance the sparkling wine’s mouthfeel.
Interview with Dante McDermott Catena
Dante McDermott Catena is responsible for strategy and consumer experience at Domaine EdeM,Canopy: Why have you done this?
Dante: “The motivation for Domaine EdeM comes from the Catena family’s focus on alcohol consumption in moderation. Our family matriarch, Elena Maza, has always been an advocate of one glass of wine per day as part of the Mediterranean diet. As she got older, she noticed that wine affected her more strongly, so she asked her daughters, Laura and Adrianna to make her a no/low alcohol drink that she could enjoy in addition to her daily glass of wine. Laura challenged the Catena Institute of Wine with this project, a research organisation with advanced capabilities in wine chemistry and sensory analysis. Thus, E de M Rosae, Blonde, Brunette, Uco Stones, and Uco Mineral were born.”
What’s the reaction been?
Dante: “I would use the words ‘excited’ and ‘curious’ as descriptors for the wine world’s reaction to E de M. We featured Rosae at Wine Paris and ProWein in early 2025 which created some buzz around the new brand. Wine lovers often express excitement for sharing E de M with the people in their life who, for any given reason, can’t drink alcohol. People are often curious about how we are able to replicate the taste of alcohol, which we respond to by telling them about the infusion of botanicals, a technique we use in the production of Blonde and Brunette. For Rosae, we tell them about the vacuum distillation process by which we remove the alcohol from the finished wine.”
Why have you chosen to make it from Airén grapes in Spain?
Dante: “We selected Airén grapes from central Spain, Toledo, as extensive trials revealed that not all grape varieties respond uniformly to dealcoholisation. We identified these high-quality Airén grapes, cultivated in a "vaso" system, which performed exceptionally well during dealcoholisation and the subsequent maceration with rose petals.”
Why are you just launching it in the USA? Has that changed with the tariffs turmoil?
Dante: “The USA has the largest consumer base for no/low products. Despite the tariffs on wine from Argentina and Europe, we still consider the US to be a major market going forward. Tariffs imply a lower selling margin for Domaine E de M, and/or a higher price for the customer, both of which could affect the quantity of production and sale.”
When will you roll it out to other markets?
Dante: “Our other EdeM products, Blonde, Brunette, Uco Stones, and Uno Mineral are for sale in Argentina. We are exploring markets in Europe, South America, and North America for viability.”
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