How can brands attract new consumers to alcohol-free wine? At this year's SIAL Paris international food fair, Languedoc-Roussillon producer Domaines Pierre Chavin will present new wines featuring two highly innovative ingredients: stevia and 24 carat gold leaf flakes.

From Oct. 16-20, food industry representatives from 104 countries will gather in Paris-Nord Villepinte to showcase their latest innovations. SIAL is a professional trade fair, but it is one that is of interest to the general public because it is a venue for the presentation of new ingredients that will soon be turning up on our plates. Among the plethora of new products, Domaines Pierre Chavin will present an alcohol-free wine that contains no more than seven kilocalories.

The Languedoc winemaker has successfully reduced the level of alcohol in this tipple to 0% without sacrificing its taste. However, the originality of this wine, which has been named Silhouet', resides in the addition of stevia, a natural sweetener that is 100 times more potent than sugar. The South American plant, which has been approved for use in France since 2009, is now used in a wide range of sodas and chocolates, but this is the first time it has been added to wine to give it a sweeter taste that does not translate into an impact on bathroom scales.

Silhouet' comes in three versions: a white chardonnay, a red merlot, and a sparkling white. The range, which will be officially launched at the trade show, will retail for $8.75 ($13.15 for the sparkling version). The wines can be ordered from Domaines-pierre-chavin.com and will also be available from selected wine shops.

Gold in a bottle

Also at the SIAL, Domaines Pierre Chavin plans to launch Gold Arabesque: a sparkling wine that is as dazzling to the eye as it is to the palette. Twenty-four carat gold flakes have been added to this bubbly chardonnay to create a beverage that is not only alcohol-free and pleasing to the eye, but also therapeutic.

The consumption of gold helps to combat stress, relieve depression, stimulate collagen production and reduce wrinkles. Count on spending $95 for a bottle of this elixir, which also exists in an alcoholic version: Folie de Pierre, which retails at $80.30.

The SIAL Paris will run Oct. 16-20.