Wine dealcoholization process

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for the dealcoholization of a volume V1 of wine with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of value ABV (1), comprising the implementation of the following steps: a) separating the volume V1 of the wine into two fractions using a membrane separation method: a fraction concentrated by a factor k called "retain", the volume of which is equal to 1 / k V1, and which has an ABV value (R); a fraction called "permeate" comprising predominantly water and ethanol, the volume of which is equal to (k-1) / k V1, and which has an ABV value (P); b) removing the ethanol from the permeate with yeasts added to said permeate, said yeasts being in a respiratory state to metabolize the ethanol, and the resulting fraction called "metabolized permeate" having an ABV value (P metabolized) lower than the ABV (P);c) optionally, diafiltering the retentate with metabolized permeate to obtain a "diafiltered retentate" with an ABV value (R diafiltered) lower than ABV (R), and a "diafiltered metabolized permeate" with an ABV value higher than ABV (P metabolized), said diafiltered metabolized permeate then optionally being subjected to step (b) again; d) combining a volume of retentate, optionally diafiltered retentate, and a volume of metabolized permeate, to obtain a volume V2 of dealcoholized wine, with an ABV (2) value lower than ABV (1).;

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a process for reducing the amount of alcohol present in a wine, without significantly altering the organoleptic properties of said wine, which are the source of its taste qualities. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] For almost a century, there has been a search for ways to lower the alcohol content of certain alcoholic drinks, particularly beer and more recently wine, or even to eliminate alcohol from these drinks altogether.

[0003] For a number of reasons, it may be desirable to lower the alcohol content of certain alcoholic beverages. One of the main reasons is the public health recommendation to limit alcohol consumption. Furthermore, recent and increasingly common drinking habits are moving towards responsible consumption, allowing for a combination of conviviality and enjoyment. Finally, due to climate change, grapes harvested at peak ripeness have increasingly higher sugar levels, and their fermentation thus leads to wines with significantly higher alcohol content.

[0004] In recent years, an increasing number of traditionally produced alcoholic beverages have seen the emergence of an "equivalent" with a lower alcohol content or containing little to no alcohol, thus creating a new product segment. Achieving such an equivalent is a technical challenge, especially given the goal of significantly reducing the alcohol level while offering the highest possible quality tasting experience.

[0005] We know of several strategies from the state of the art for obtaining drinks with low alcohol content, or even with zero alcohol content.

[0006] Two main strategies can be distinguished: One approach involves limiting alcohol production before or during the fermentation phase, either by acting on the raw materials used or on the fermentation process, using yeasts that produce little alcohol; the other involves acting on the alcoholic beverage once its production process is complete (the "post-fermentation" approach), to reduce its alcohol content by transforming or extracting the alcohol present in this so-called "finished" beverage.

[0007] Several methods can be used to implement the first strategy. In particular, for wine, where alcohol is produced gradually in the must through the consumption of sugar from the grapes by yeast, it is possible to act at several levels during this stage of fermentation to reduce alcohol production. Some examples are described in the following documents: French patent FR2852493 describes a method for partially desugaring juices; French patent FR2887258 describes the use of genetically modified yeasts to produce less alcohol; International application WO 2015 / 114115 relates to the use of pre-stressed yeasts to produce less alcohol; US patent 5,266,337 by Barwäld et al. proposes a process in which the yield of the alcoholic fermentation process is reduced during the anaerobic phase of ethanol production, and then the ethanol content is reduced during a second stage of the same fermentation but under aerobic conditions; The article (Morales et al.,A 2015 study describes a method for fermenting grape must to reduce the final alcohol content, based on the use of a mixed yeast culture and controlled oxygenation levels. It demonstrates that the lower the alcohol percentage, the greater the increase in acid production, particularly acetic acid. Therefore, this method does not allow for a significant reduction in alcohol percentage while preserving the wine's flavor profile.

[0008] The second strategy, known as post-fermentation, implements a set of methods such as: (i) separation methods, in particular membrane methods, (ii) thermal methods, such as vacuum distillation or rotating cone column, (iii) microbiological methods, or (iv) a combination of these methods.

[0009] Among the separation methods, one can cite the technique of using a compound with an affinity for ethanol, such as an enzyme, immobilized on a column: when the alcoholic beverage passes over the column, the ethanol is immobilized and / or transformed by the enzyme. This technique is described in international application WO 90 / 01537. Its implementation requires the use of a column, which, according to the applicant, is not a device commonly used in industry for the industrial-scale production of alcoholic beverages, and in particular for wine. Furthermore, this technique leads to an accumulation of acetaldehyde, which is detrimental to the taste of the wine. This acetaldehyde must then be removed using non-specific methods, which do not preserve the organoleptic properties of the final dealcoholized wine.

[0010] Among the membrane separation techniques, we can mention in particular membrane contactors, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis which are well known to those skilled in the art, and have been used for many years for this purpose in order to correct the alcohol level by a few degrees, most often for regulatory reasons.

[0011] Reverse osmosis is the most widely used technique for reducing the alcohol content of a wine, as it can be carried out at low temperatures, which allows for better preservation of the wine's taste (Pickering, 2000).

[0012] Diafiltration, another membrane technique, is well known to beer brewers. It is used to significantly reduce the alcohol content in a context quite different from that of wine, particularly in terms of regulations. This technique, often followed by dilution, requires the addition of exogenous water, in a quantity that increases as the desired alcohol reduction is sought, and the loss of endogenous water. Its aim is to replace the extracted alcohol with exogenous water, thus significantly reducing the alcohol content to 0.5% ABV or below.

[0013] It is therefore possible to produce beer with an alcohol content of 0.5% ABV or less, but the quality often leaves much to be desired, especially since the methods used result in a beer with little flavor after the alcohol is removed. Consequently, it is necessary to re-flavor it using exogenous flavoring.

[0014] Furthermore, this technique inherently generates a significant volume of waste.

[0015] In the field of wine, the use of exogenous water as a dealcoholization input is generally avoided, which makes it more complicated to achieve an alcohol content below 0.5% vol., as expected for a wine described as "alcohol-free" according to the applicable regulations of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).

[0016] In the wine industry, it is desirable to have dealcoholization technology that does not involve any exogenous compound that could be considered a "de-alcoholization input", including when aiming for a low or zero alcohol content.

[0017] With the exception of diafiltration, the various techniques described above do not, on their own, allow for a significant reduction in the alcohol content of wines (more than 2% vol.), while preserving their organoleptic properties (Varela, 2015).

[0018] This is why different combinations of these techniques have been implemented to try to achieve these quality and yield objectives, in particular separation and thermal techniques, without success so far.

[0019] For example, US patent application 2016 / 0326473 describes a wine dealcoholization process, where a first separation step separates a "retentate" comprising the compounds of interest, and a "permeate" which is subjected to distillation to remove the alcohol concentrated in that fraction.

[0020] The so-called "microbiological" methods, when applied to the finished alcoholic beverage, are based on the metabolization of ethanol into water and CO2 under aerobic conditions by yeasts capable of carrying out this biochemical transformation.

[0021] These methods consist of directing the yeast's metabolism towards the consumption of some of the alcohol produced. This shift from a fermentative metabolism (more precisely called "respiro-fermentative," consisting of the consumption of sugars and the production of ethanol and CO2, in the presence or absence of oxygen) to a respiratory metabolism (consumption of alcohol in the presence of oxygen only) is called a "diauxic transition."

[0022] Thus, Bärwald and Fischer (1996) and Rodrigues et al. (2016) both mentioned the possibility of carrying out this diauxic transition in situ from a fermentation phase on must, and of "pushing" respiration beyond the total depletion of sugars, then continuing it through the consumption of ethanol. This technology has the drawback of altering the aromatic profile through the oxidation of aromas and the synthesis of acetaldehyde.

[0023] European patent application EP3550007 relates to a process for dealcoholizing an alcoholic beverage, comprising adding a non-Saccharomyces yeast to said beverage and fermenting it under oxygen-limited conditions to reduce the alcohol content. The examples presented relate to the dealcoholization of fermented products containing 5% vol. ethanol. This technical teaching concerns a process suitable for dealcoholizing beer, which has a low initial alcoholic strength by volume (ABV) and is less susceptible to changes in its organoleptic properties than wine.

[0024] Thus, these microbiological methods described in the state of the art appear to be applicable only in the case of beverages with a relatively low initial alcohol content (4% vol. in Bärwald and Fischer (1996), 5% vol. in Rodrigues et al. (2016) and in EP3550007) and in a medium relatively rich in nutrients for yeasts such as grape must or beer.

[0025] This microbiological technique generally presents the following disadvantages: risk of generating oxidation of aromas, due to the presence of oxygen, risk of consumption of the compounds responsible for aromas and other carbon compounds of interest such as glycerol or lactic acid for a wine, by the yeasts, as a preferred substrate, instead of ethanol, the said compounds of interest having an important role which gives the drink concerned its organoleptic characteristics in majority, production of undesirable compounds because synonymous with taste defects, in particular acetaldehyde, by the yeasts.

[0026] Thus, the implementation of this type of microbiological method inevitably leads to the degradation of certain compounds of interest, modifying the organoleptic properties of the alcoholic beverage.

[0027] These compounds are said to be of interest because they mainly confer the organoleptic properties of the said beverage, synonymous with quality, both in terms of sensations in the mouth (structural compounds) and those related to the bouquet (aromatic compounds).

[0028] This is why, once again, different couplings of these separation techniques, thermal and / or microbiological, have also been implemented to try to achieve these quality and yield objectives, without succeeding again.

[0029] For example, international application WO 2011 / 088809 proposed combining a physical separation method with a microbiological method.

[0030] In this process, the physical method involves freezing the alcoholic beverage and then subtracting the alcoholic phase, which remains liquid, thus performing a dilution by subtraction. The portion of the beverage that is frozen and then thawed still contains alcohol, but at a low concentration. It is then possible to transform the remaining ethanol by adding a Candida yeast. However, this technique has several drawbacks: loss of the compounds of interest dissolved in the alcoholic phase, oxidation of these compounds in the phase exposed to the yeast, and consumption of glycerol by the yeast.

[0031] Thus, among the many existing techniques, none of them, including when combined with each other, allows for a significant reduction in the alcohol content of the initial beverage without exogenous water and / or techniques that are often too invasive, especially when it is necessary to implement them a large number of times, and to limit the negative impact of these techniques on the compounds of interest present in said beverage in an appropriate manner to ultimately produce a product that is as high-quality as possible and as respectful as possible of the intrinsic characteristics of the original product.

[0032] There is therefore a real need for a process that implements techniques to achieve a very low or zero alcohol level while preserving such compounds of interest for the highest possible quality result in terms of tasting.

[0033] Maintaining the taste quality of beverages, especially wines, is often the most difficult technical problem to solve when developing dealcoholization processes, because the compounds of interest, particularly aromatic compounds, are either eliminated with the alcohol or degraded by the application of a process including at least one heating or oxidation step.

[0034] Another drawback of the technologies presented above is that most of them usually require the subsequent addition of additives, once the aforementioned dealcoholization techniques have been implemented, in order to mask certain unwanted tastes, and / or in some cases, to flavor the dealcoholized beverage thus obtained.

[0035] Thus, to date, dealcoholized beverages, particularly wines, available on the market often have the drawback of exhibiting aromatic notes reminiscent of plants, plastic, cooked fruit, or jam. Some display characteristic notes of artificial flavorings (peach, apricot, strawberry, etc.). The palates are often dominated by sweetness at the expense of finesse and balance. These flavors are generally rejected by consumers because they are unusual or absent from their alcoholic counterparts, either due to the dealcoholization techniques used (oxidation, heat, high dilution) or because artificial flavorings have been added. These tastes are often unappealing to consumers seeking quality products.

[0036] There is therefore a need for a technical dealcoholization solution that is more respectful of the wine to be dealcoholized, allowing low or zero alcohol levels to be achieved while preserving as much as possible the compounds of interest of the original wine in order to obtain a quality dealcoholized wine, capable of meeting the expectations of consumers seeking taste pleasure.

[0037] There is also a need for an even more demanding technical solution in terms of specifications, like those provided for by protected designations of origin (PDOs), limiting or prohibiting the use of dealcoholization inputs external to the starting wine, such as exogenous water, in order to be as faithful as possible to the typicity and intrinsic characteristics of the initial wine.

[0038] Finally, there is a need for a more natural and environmentally friendly process, particularly by reducing the waste generated by the wine industry. During the implementation of the dealcoholization processes described above, the repeated use of external water generates very large quantities of non-reusable and / or non-recyclable liquid by-products, which are therefore discarded. Current recommendations emphasize limiting the amount of waste generated, especially liquid waste. It is also desirable to limit the use of additional equipment whose manufacture would be necessitated by a specific process. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0039] The present invention relates to a process for the partial or total dealcoholization of wine, yielding a dealcoholized wine in which the compounds of interest (particularly aromatic compounds) initially present are not only retained but also preserved (not denatured), especially from oxidation, and possibly from excessive temperature associated with a heating step. These compounds are first isolated appropriately, and the techniques used to remove the alcohol are as gentle as possible on them. These compounds of interest thus remain present in the partially or totally dealcoholized wine.

[0040] This process is based on the combination of a physical separation step by membrane, and a microbiology step applied to one of the fractions obtained during said first physical separation step.

[0041] The membrane separation method allows the following two fractions to be separated: i. A concentrated fraction called the "retentate," comprising all the compounds of interest in wine, namely water, alcohol, glycerol, organic acids, sugars, polyphenols, and aromatic compounds; and ii. A fraction called the "permeate," comprising mainly water and ethanol. These compounds of interest are thus first isolated appropriately, and the techniques used to remove the alcohol present in both phases are gentle on these compounds. These compounds of interest are therefore preserved in the partially or fully dealcoholized wine.

[0042] More specifically, the present invention relates to a process for dealcoholizing a volume V1 of wine having an alcoholic strength by volume (ABV) of value ABV (1), comprising the implementation of the following steps: a) Separation of the volume V1 of the wine into two fractions using a membrane separation method: A concentrated fraction with a factor k called the "retentate", the volume of this fraction being equal to 1 / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(R); A fraction called the "permeate" comprising mainly water and ethanol, the volume of this fraction being equal to (k-1) / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(P); b) Elimination of ethanol from the permeate by yeasts added to said permeate, said yeasts being in a respiratory state in order to metabolize the ethanol, the fraction thus obtained called the "metabolized permeate" having a value of TAV(P metabolized) lower than TAV(P);c) Optionally, diafiltration of the retentate with metabolized permeate, to obtain: a "diafiltered retentate" having a TAV value (R diafiltered) lower than TAV (R), and a "diafiltered metabolized permeate" having a TAV value higher than TAV (P metabolized), said diafiltered metabolized permeate then optionally being resubmitted to step (b); d) Combination of a volume of retentate, optionally diafiltered, and a volume of metabolized permeate, to obtain a volume V2 of dealcoholized wine, having a TAV value (2) lower than TAV (1).

[0043] The microbiology step (b) is based on the addition of yeasts in the permeate, said yeasts being able to metabolize ethanol by respiration, under limited aerobic conditions i.e. in the presence of small amounts of oxygen.

[0044] Advantageously, this step allows all or part of the ethanol present in the permeate to be transformed, without resorting to separation and / or thermal techniques with the multiple disadvantages mentioned above.

[0045] Advantageously, this microbiological step produces no waste other than carbon dioxide and yeast biomass, and these residues can be reused later. For example, the carbon dioxide produced can be collected and reused subsequently, notably for (re)carbonating beverages, particularly wines, that have previously been dealcoholized.

[0046] This dealcoholization process can be described as a "quality" process insofar as it allows for the best preservation of the compounds of interest and especially the aromas of the original wine, and thus to obtain a dealcoholized wine with a satisfactory taste, which does not require the addition of artificial flavors or flavor enhancers.

[0047] Following the implementation of the process according to the invention, the organoleptic profile of the dealcoholized wine is close to that of the original wine, as is its aromatic profile.

[0048] Advantageously, the process of the invention makes it possible to significantly reduce the alcoholic strength by volume (ABV) of a wine without having to multiply the steps with the many known disadvantages of separation and / or thermal techniques, which are long, expensive, and detrimental to the taste quality of the dealcoholized wine, especially if they are repeated too often.

[0049] A particularly advantageous aspect is that the process of the invention can be implemented without the use and / or addition of any exogenous compound to the wine to be dealcoholized as a dealcoholization input. The dealcoholized wine thus consists only of compounds initially present in the original wine to be dealcoholized. Therefore, the dealcoholization process implemented is compatible with the highest quality requirements, such as those of the specifications for Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or Appellation of Controlled Origin (AOC) status, in which a given batch of grapes is transformed into wine that can be dealcoholized without the use of any dealcoholization input, thus preserving its typicity.

[0050] The process of the invention is also advantageously a versatile and industrializable process, capable of adapting to the different types of wines to be dealcoholized.

[0051] Another advantage of the process of the invention is that it generates little or no waste. Indeed, all the fractions from the wine intended for dealcoholization can be used in the process of the invention, it being understood that the optimization of the process includes the use of its own diafiltration agent.

[0052] An additional advantage of the process of the invention is that its implementation does not require the specific manufacture (and therefore the acquisition and associated costs elsewhere) of new devices specific to dealcoholization, but it uses equipment known to those skilled in the art, already widely used in the biomass fermentation, alcoholic beverage and wine industries in particular.

[0053] This process can therefore be described as a sustainable process, or a "green process", because it is respectful of nature.

[0054] This application describes the first quality dealcoholization process allowing: adjustment of the final ABV of the wine at will (low alcohol content, in all cases an ABV lower than the starting ABV - or a near-zero ABV, less than 0.5% vol.) and / or adaptation to the characteristics of the initial wine (ABV, typicity, etc.) using technical means compatible with various production methods (for example, in batch or fed-batch mode).

[0055] Also written here is a metabolized permeate, which can be obtained by implementing steps (a) and (b) of the process as described above.

[0056] This metabolized permeate is a new product which corresponds to a fraction obtained from a wine, comprising mainly water and ethanol, in which the ethanol has been partially or totally consumed by yeasts, under aerobic conditions.

[0057] This metabolized permeate can be used in the implementation of at least three steps of the process of the invention: In the optional step (a'), to lower the ABV of the permeate, before submitting it to step (b); In the optional step (c), as a diafiltration agent, to lower the ABV of the retentate; In step (d), to obtain dealcoholized wine, in association with a volume of retentate. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0058] Other features, purposes and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which is purely illustrative and not limiting, and which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, according to which: There figure 1 This schematically illustrates the essential steps of the process of the invention, intended to obtain a partially dealcoholized wine. Steps (a), (b), and (d) are shown schematically. figure 2This schematically illustrates the essential steps of the process of the invention, intended to obtain a completely dealcoholized wine. Steps (a), (b), (c), and (d) are shown schematically. figure 3 illustrates a reverse osmosis system, comprising a feed platform (19), a reverse osmosis platform (20) and a permeate tank (18).

[0059] The feeding platform (19) includes a 500-litre pallet tank (1) comprising a controlled solenoid valve (2), a nitrogen regulator (3), a pressure sensor (4) and an oxygen probe (5). It also includes temperature sensors (6), a plate heat exchanger (7), a circulation pump (8), a three-way valve (9), a centrifugal pump (10), a mass flow meter (11), a strainer (12), an Application Programming Interface (API) (13) and a Human Machine Interface (HMI) (14).

[0060] The reverse osmosis platform (20) includes a positive pressure pump (15), a membrane (16) and a pressure valve (17). It is connected to the permeate tank (18) by a pipe controlled by a flow meter.

[0061] THE figures 4a And 4b illustrate step (b3) of ethanol metabolization present in a TAV permeate of approximately 6% vol., after dilution.

[0062] There figure 4a Figure (b3) illustrates step (b3) of batch metabolism of ethanol present in a permeate with an ABV of approximately 6% vol. (the exact ABVs are shown in the figure), as a function of incubation time with yeast, expressed in days. The 6% vol. ABV was obtained by diluting a permeate with a higher ABV.

[0063] The yeast strains used are strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Vitilevure DV10 ®< , selected by the Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC) and marketed by the company Danstar, known for being used for the vinification of champagne, or more generally sparkling wines vinified according to the champenoise method; Lalbrew ®< Abbaye, marketed by the company Lallemand and used for brewing beers, IOC Harmonie ®< , selected by the University of California Davis under the name "Davis 522", marketed by Institut Œnologique de Champagne (IOC) as well as many companies around the world, known as a robust strain, used for the vinification of white, rosé or red wine.

[0064] The graph shows: two examples with the DV10 strain (dots and solid line, starting at 6.10% vol.; addition symbols and dotted line, starting at 6.27% vol.), one example with the Abbaye strain (squares and line with large dashes, starting at 6.44% vol.), and one example with the Harmonie strain (diamonds and line with small and large dashes, starting at 6.11% vol.)

[0065] There figure 4b Figure (b3) illustrates step (b3) of batch (black circles and dashed lines, starting at 6.22% vol.) and fed-batch (black diamonds and solid lines, starting at 6.45% vol.) metabolism of ethanol present in a permeate, as a function of incubation time with yeast, expressed in days. The TAV of approximately 6% vol. was obtained by diluting a permeate with a higher TAV. The yeast strain used is a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Vitilevure DV10 ®).

[0066] There figure 4cThis illustrates step (b3) of batch metabolism of ethanol present in a permeate from a dry white wine as a function of incubation time with yeast, expressed in days. The permeate contains approximately 10% vol. alcohol, obtained by reverse osmosis separation of a white wine, and then diluted by the addition of spring water (Cristaline brand).

[0067] The two strains used are non-species -Saccharomyces, Lachancea thermotolerans (dots and solid line starting at 6.23% vol ethanol), and Torulaspora delbrueckii (addition symbols and dotted line, starting at 1.74% vol ethanol)

[0068] There figure 5illustrates step (b3) of ethanol metabolism present in two types of permeate (ABV = 2.5% vol. or 5% vol.) by three different strains of yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These strains are native to the Champagne wine region, used in the vinification of Champagne, or more generally of sparkling wines vinified according to the traditional method: Vitilevure DV10 ®< , presented above; IOC18-2007, selected and marketed by the company Institut Œnologique de Champagne; and Levuline CHP ®< , selected by the CIVC and marketed by the company Danstar.

[0069] The graph shows the strains DV10 (black circles and solid line), CHP (addition symbols and line with large dashes) and IOC18-2007 (cross and dotted line).

[0070] There figure 6This illustrates step (b3) of batch metabolism of ethanol present in a permeate from a dry white wine with an ABV of approximately 6% vol. (the exact ABVs are shown in the figure), as a function of the incubation time with the yeast, expressed in days. The ABV of approximately 6% vol. was obtained by diluting a permeate with a higher ABV with a 0% vol. permeate from a prior dealcoholization cycle.

[0071] The yeast strains used are strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Zyamaflore Delta ®< (dots and solid line), strain EC-1118 (addition symbols and dotted line) Lalvin ICV D80 (squares and line with large dashes), strain ICVK1 (diamonds and line with small and large dashes) and strain IOC Prestige (triangles with sequence two small and one large dash).

[0072] There figure 7illustrates step (b3) of batch metabolism of ethanol present in permeates from white wine, rosé wine, macerated red wine, and thermovinification red wine, with an ABV of approximately 6.25% vol., depending on the incubation time with yeasts, expressed in days.

[0073] The ABV of approximately 6.25% vol. was obtained from a permeate of approximately 10% vol. of alcohol diluted with the addition of 0% vol. permeate from a prior dealcoholization cycle.

[0074] The yeast strains used are Champagne strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Vitilevure ®< DV10 (top panel) and the IOC 18-2007 strain (bottom panel). The different permeates treated are: permeate from white wine (dots and solid line), permeate from rosé wine (addition symbols and dotted line), permeate from macerated red wine (squares and line with large dashes), and permeate from thermovinification red wine (diamonds and line with small and large dashes).

[0075] THE Figures 8A , 8B And 8C illustrate the properties of a dealcoholized white wine (Wine 0-029) according to the process of the invention, represented in solid line; in comparison with the initial wine, not subjected to the process, represented in dotted line.

[0076] 8A) Graph illustrating the sugar, organic acid and alcohol profile of the beverages studied. Except for the alcohol content expressed as a percentage, the other concentrations are expressed in g / L.

[0077] 8B) Graph illustrating the mineral element profile (Na, Mg, Al, Ca, etc.) of the beverages studied. Concentrations are expressed in µg / kg.

[0078] 8C) Graph illustrating the aromatic profile of the drinks studied.

[0079] THE Figures 9A , 9B And 9C illustrate the properties of a rosé wine dealcoholized according to the process of the invention, in comparison with the initial wine, not subjected to the process.

[0080] 9A) Graph illustrating the sugar, organic acid and alcohol profile of the beverages studied. Except for the alcohol content expressed as a percentage, the other concentrations are expressed in g / L.

[0081] 9B) Graph illustrating the mineral element profile (Na, Mg, Al, Ca, etc.) of the beverages studied. Concentrations are expressed in µg / kg.

[0082] 9C) Graph illustrating the aromatic profile of the drinks studied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Definitions

[0083] For a better understanding of the invention, the terms used in this application are defined below.

[0084] In this application, the term "alcohol" refers to ethanol with the semi-developed chemical formula CH3-CH2-OH, CAS number 64-17-5.

[0085] The term "wine" refers to an alcoholic beverage, that is, one containing alcohol, obtained through the fermentation of fresh grapes or grape must obtained by pressing. Winemaking involves a stage of "vinification," during which the grape must undergoes alcoholic fermentation thanks to the presence of yeasts, which transform the grape sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The subsequent stages of preparation are aging the wine, blending, and then bottling.

[0086] The term "wine" includes both still wines and sparkling wines, in other words, non-effervescent wines and effervescent wines.

[0087] Among still wines, we will mention in particular red, white and rosé wines, with or without residual sugars, wines without residual sugar being designated "dry wines" and wines with residual sugars being designated "sweet wines" or "sweet wines" depending on their sugar content.

[0088] Among sparkling wines, we will mention in particular champagne (according to the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée "Champagne") and wines obtained according to the champenoise method (thanks to a second fermentation in the bottle) as well as wines carbonated in vats.

[0089] In the context of sparkling wine, the term "base wine" refers to a still wine, whose fermentation process is complete, and which would be suitable for consumption. This "base wine" can be transformed into sparkling wine in two different ways through a carbonation step: either by the artificial addition of CO2 to the base wine or by adding the necessary products (sugars, yeasts, fermentation aids) to the base wine during a second fermentation, this fermentation producing the CO2 to make the base wine sparkling.

[0090] For the purposes of this invention, the term alcoholic strength by volume (ABV), also called alcohol content, refers to the proportion of alcohol in a wine. This is the value obtained by calculating the following quotient: volume of ethanol / total volume of wine, both volumes being measured at a temperature of 20°C, according to the International Collection of Analytical Methods - OIV.

[0091] In this application, all TAVs are expressed as a volume percentage of alcohol (% vol.).

[0092] To determine the ABV of an alcoholic beverage, the ethanol present in the beverage is separated by distillation, then the density of the distillate is measured in order to determine the volume of pure alcohol extracted, knowing that the density at 20 °C of ethanol (0.789) is different from that of water (1 by definition).

[0093] There are also calibrated measuring instruments used by professionals to measure the alcohol content of drinks without going through a distillation step: these include electronic densimeters.

[0094] Advantageously, the TAV is measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0095] The term "wine" or "initial wine" refers to a wine that is subjected to the process according to the invention.

[0096] For the purposes of this invention, the term "dealcoholization process" means a process that reduces the ABV of the initial wine having an ABV value of ABV (1). At the end of this process, a dealcoholized wine is obtained with an ABV value (2) strictly lower than ABV (1).

[0097] This de-alcoholization can be partial or total.

[0098] In the case of partial dealcoholization, the dealcoholized wine, after implementation of the process, has an ABV value reduced by at least 1% vol. compared to the ABV value of the initial wine. Preferably, the ABV value of the dealcoholized wine will be at least 2% vol., or even at least 3% vol., lower than the ABV value of the initial wine, after implementation of the process of the invention.

[0099] In the case of total dealcoholization, the dealcoholized wine has an ABV (Alcoholic Alcohol Content) of 0.5% vol. or less, or even 0% vol., meaning it contains zero ethanol. Indeed, according to the applicable regulations of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), any wine with an ABV below 0.5% vol. is considered to be non-alcoholic or completely dealcoholized.

[0100] For the purposes of this invention, a "TAV value equal to 0% vol." is understood to mean a value close to 0, that is, where only traces of alcohol are present in the product in question. As is well known to those skilled in the art, these traces will be in a negligible quantity, for example, less than or equal to 0.01% vol., which is close to the detection threshold of measuring instruments.

[0101] For the purposes of this invention, the term "input" or "dealcoholization input" means any exogenous compound that may be added to the initial wine during the dealcoholization process, which was not present in the initial wine and is therefore considered an "input." This could be, for example, exogenous water added during a dilution step.

[0102] For the purposes of this invention, a "membrane" is understood to be a selective barrier that reduces the transfer of one solute to another, most often a solute to water. Membranes have a porous structure. They are made of organic materials (polymers such as cellulose acetate, polysulfone, polyester, polypropylene) or inorganic materials (ZrO2, TiO2, alumina, ceramics). As is well known to those skilled in the art, there are membranes adapted for each filtration process (nanofiltration, reverse osmosis).

[0103] The term “fraction” means a sub-part of the initial wine volume, obtained after a step (a) of physical separation by a membrane.

[0104] The term "retentate" refers to one of the two fractions obtained by membrane separation from the original wine. It is the fraction that does not pass through the membrane. This concentrated fraction contains all the elements present in the original wine, including water, ethanol, glycerol, organic acids, sugars, and aromatic compounds. This "retentate" fraction notably includes the aromatic molecules responsible for the wine's flavor.

[0105] The term "permeate" refers to the second fraction obtained by membrane separation from the initial volume of wine. This is the fraction that passes through the membrane: it is not concentrated and is composed mainly of water and ethanol.

[0106] For the purposes of this invention, a "fraction composed mainly of" is understood to be a fraction consisting of at least 90% by mass of the aforementioned compounds. In other words, in this fraction, the minor compounds are present in a proportion of less than 10% by cumulative mass of all the minor components, relative to the total mass. Detailed description of the invention

[0107] The present invention relates to a process for dealcoholizing a volume V1 of wine having an alcoholic strength by volume (ABV) of value ABV (1), comprising the implementation of the following steps: a) Separation of the volume V1 of the wine into two fractions using a membrane separation method: A concentrated fraction with a factor k called the "retentate", the volume of this fraction being equal to 1 / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(R); A fraction called the "permeate" comprising mainly water and ethanol, the volume of this fraction being equal to (k-1) / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(P); b) Elimination of ethanol from the permeate by yeasts added to said permeate, said yeasts being in a respiratory state in order to metabolize the ethanol, the fraction thus obtained called the "metabolized permeate" having a value of TAV(P metabolized) lower than TAV(P);c) Optionally, diafiltration of the retentate with metabolized permeate, to obtain: a "diafiltered retentate" having a TAV value (R diafiltered) lower than TAV (R), and a "diafiltered metabolized permeate" having a TAV value higher than TAV (P metabolized), said diafiltered metabolized permeate then optionally being resubmitted to step (b); d) Combination of a volume of retentate, optionally diafiltered, and a volume of metabolized permeate, to obtain a volume V2 of dealcoholized wine, having a TAV value (2) lower than TAV (1).

[0108] During the process, each fraction obtained is characterized by an alcoholic strength by volume (ABV) as defined above. This strength is always expressed in this application as a volume percentage of the alcohol present, relative to the total volume of the fraction concerned. The following abbreviations are used in this description: TAV (1): Alcohol by volume of the initial wine of volume V1; TAV (P): Alcohol by volume of the permeate from step (a) of the process; TAV (P metabolized): Alcohol by volume of the permeate having been subjected to step (b) of the process; TAV (R): Alcohol by volume of the retentate from step (a) of the process; TAV (R diafiltered): Alcohol by volume of the retentate following its diafiltration in step (c); TAV (2): Alcohol by volume of the dealcoholized wine, obtained by combining a volume of retentate, optionally diafiltered, and a volume of metabolized permeate.

[0109] The three essential steps a, b and d will preferably be carried out in this successive order: a, b then d. Step (a) of physical separation by a membrane

[0110] The first step of the process according to the invention is a physical separation step of the initial volume V1 of wine, using a membrane, into two fractions: i. A concentrated fraction of a factor k called "retentate" comprising all the elements initially present in the wine, and in particular water, ethanol, glycerol, organic acids, sugars and aromatic compounds, the volume of this fraction being equal to 1 / k V1; and ii. A fraction called "permeate" comprising mainly water and ethanol, the volume of this fraction being equal to (k-1) / k V1, and its TAV having a value of TAV (P). Physical separation using a membrane

[0111] The membrane separation method used in this process is based on the use of permeable membranes. The membrane acts as a highly specific filter that allows water to pass through while retaining certain dissolved solutes, depending on its selectivity, which is determined by the pore size and the diffusibility of the solutes within the membrane. Several methods exist to allow substances to penetrate the membrane. These include, for example, applying pressure, maintaining a concentration gradient across the membrane, or applying an electrical potential.

[0112] Among membrane separation techniques, we distinguish microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis (RO or hyperfiltration), in descending order of the size of the pores of the membranes used.

[0113] Various parameters are used to characterize the operation of these membrane technologies. In particular, the selectivity of the process is evaluated by the complementary parameters "rejection rate" and "retention rate".

[0114] The choice of membrane type depends on a large number of parameters, notably its selectivity for the compounds to be separated. Other characteristics such as density, risk of clogging, cleaning requirements, and cost must also be considered. In this process, the membrane selection will be based primarily on its selectivity for ethanol and glycerol.

[0115] The membrane used in the process according to the invention should ideally possess the following characteristic: it should allow the separation of two fractions, with all the ethanol remaining in the permeate, and all the glycerol retained in the retentate. Thus, the ideal membrane would exhibit: (i) a rejection rate of 1 for glycerol and the other compounds in the wine to be dealcoholized, and (ii) a very low rejection rate, ideally zero, for ethanol. However, no membrane currently exists that exhibits both of these properties.

[0116] Nevertheless, in view of his general knowledge, the person skilled in the art will be able to choose the most suitable membrane to implement this step of physical separation into two fractions, depending on the characteristics of the wine to be dealcoholized, and on the other hand on the desired quality for the final product.

[0117] To ensure optimal quality of the dealcoholized wine obtained after the process, it is best to choose a membrane with a glycerol rejection rate close to or equal to 1, even if the ethanol rejection rate is not as close to zero as desired. Membranes with a glycerol rejection rate of 1 generally have an ethanol rejection rate of around 0.33.

[0118] Therefore, to obtain a dealcoholization process with maximum efficiency, it is preferable to choose a membrane with a very low ethanol rejection rate, close to zero.

[0119] The physical membrane separation in step (a) can be carried out using any membrane techniques well known to those skilled in the art. In particular, the physical separation of the wine to be dealcoholized into two fractions can be achieved by nanofiltration or reverse osmosis.

[0120] The selectivity of nanofiltration membranes is defined by the size of solutes that can be separated by the permeable membrane. These solutes have a molar mass between 200 and 1000 Daltons.

[0121] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, step (a) is carried out by reverse osmosis or by nanofiltration, preferably by reverse osmosis.

[0122] The selectivity of reverse osmosis membranes is also defined by their salt rejection rate. For implementing the process according to the invention, a membrane with a very high salt rejection rate will preferably be used.

[0123] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the membrane used has a salt rejection rate greater than 0.9 (i.e. a 90% salt rejection rate), preferably greater than 0.95, and most preferably greater than or equal to 0.97.

[0124] According to a preferred embodiment, the membrane used in the process according to the invention is an organic polypropylene membrane.

[0125] Examples of commercially available reverse osmosis membranes suitable for implementing the process according to the invention are presented in the experimental section of this application. The flow rate applied to each membrane will be adjusted according to the membrane selected, based on the conditions recommended by the membrane supplier.

[0126] The pressure of the reverse osmosis system will preferably be between 20 and 100 bars, and may in particular be equal to 50 bars.

[0127] A numerical example of the physical separation of a wine, using a membrane, by reverse osmosis, under a pressure of 50 bars, and concentrating the retentate by a factor of 8, is presented in Table 1 below: Table 1 Product or fraction Wine Permeate Retentat Volume 8 / 8 7 / 8 1 / 8 Theoretical time of fractions 11.6% vol. 9.3% vol. 28% vol. TAV observed fractions (average over 40 trials) 9.7% vol. 21% vol. Ethanol concentration of each fraction (g / L) 91.5 g / L 76.5 g / L 165.7 g / L

[0128] In this example, it appears that 73% of the ethanol flowed into the permeate, but that 27% of the ethanol was retained by the membrane in the highly concentrated retentate.

[0129] Preferably, step (a) of membrane separation is carried out at a temperature between 15°C and 25°C, more preferably between 15°C and 20°C, or even between 15°C and 18°C.

[0130] Furthermore, this step (a) will preferably be carried out under an atmosphere mainly composed of inert gas, and more specifically comprising less than 3% dioxygen, or better less than 2% dioxygen, or even less than 1% dioxygen.

[0131] Indeed, the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere of the device used could cause oxidation of the wine's compounds. However, the wine's desirable compounds, particularly its aromatic compounds, can be degraded by oxidation, so it is preferable to limit this phenomenon.

[0132] These particular conditions of temperature and atmosphere including a low proportion of dioxygen, allow these two fractions to be separated while avoiding the denaturation of the compounds of interest in the wine which will be concentrated in the retentate.

[0133] Generally, in prior art, a physical separation step is accompanied by heating of the apparatus used, and consequently of the wine being processed. However, this temperature increase is detrimental to the quality of the wine's compounds, particularly compounds of interest such as aromatic compounds.

[0134] According to one implementation option, the process according to the invention does not include a heating step. The process may optionally include a cooling step to regulate the temperature increase observed during the membrane separation step. Characteristics of the two fractions obtained

[0135] At the end of the physical separation step, the retentate is concentrated by a concentration factor k. Thus: a) for a concentration factor k=2, the volume Vr of the retentate will be ½ of the volume V1 of the initial wine; b) for a concentration factor k=8, the volume Vr of the retentate will be 1 / 8 of the volume V1 of the initial wine.

[0136] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the concentration factor k is between 0.1 and 20, preferably between 2 and 10, more preferably between 5 and 10.

[0137] For the process according to the invention to be effective, it is not necessary for the concentration factor k to be very high; thus, in the case where k is equal to 2, the process according to the invention allows obtaining a dealcoholized wine with an ABV equal to 2 / 3 of the ABV of the initial wine.

[0138] The concentration factor k relevant for the implementation of the invention can be determined by a person skilled in the art, in particular according to the nature of the initial wine, its ABV, its osmotic pressure and its solute concentration.

[0139] For example, for the complete dealcoholization of a wine with an ABV of approximately 11% vol., the concentration factor k is advantageously equal to 8.

[0140] The permeate is predominantly composed of water and ethanol. The term "primarily" means that less than 10%, or even less than 5%, or less than 4%, or preferably less than 3% by mass of the minor components of the permeate are of a nature other than water or ethanol. The permeate may, for example, consist of: c) 98% water and ethanol; and d) at most 2% other compounds, such as acids or other low molecular weight organic molecules.

[0141] As an example, the following mass composition of permeate at approximately 9.3% vol. was observed: in 1000 grams of permeate, 925 g of water, 73 g of ethanol and 2 g of other compounds were measured (i.e. 0.2% mass / mass).

[0142] The retentate consists of water and contains all the other elements that make up the wine, in particular the main compounds of interest: glycerol, organic acids (such as lactic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, succinic acid), sugars (especially fructose), polyphenols, aromatic compounds (including esters, such as ethyl acetate), etc. These compounds are more concentrated than in the original wine.

[0143] The retentate also includes ethanol, as the reverse osmosis operation does not allow for the complete separation of the glycerol and ethanol compounds, for the reasons presented previously.

[0144] During the implementation of the following steps (b) and optionally (a'), the retentate obtained in step (a) is stored, preferably at a temperature below 10 °C, before its subsequent use in steps (d) and optionally (c). Step (a') of decreasing the TAV (P) of the permeate

[0145] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the permeate is subjected to at least one step (a') of reducing its TAV (P).

[0146] Indeed, it may be advantageous to start step (b) on a permeate with a previously lowered TAV(P).

[0147] It is indeed known to those skilled in the art that ethanol, in high concentrations, can be toxic to yeasts, particularly yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces.

[0148] Therefore, it would not be feasible to carry out step (b) of the process according to the invention on wine, for at least two main reasons: The ABV of the wine would be too high (generally between 10% vol. and 15% vol.) to ensure the survival of the yeasts intended for the metabolization of ethanol; The compounds of interest, in particular the aromatic compounds, of the wine would be likely to be degraded by the action of said yeasts, this generating a decrease in the aromatic quality of the dealcoholized wine obtained.

[0149] As previously presented, for a wine with ABV (1) = 11.6% vol., if step (a) allows the separation of a retentate and a permeate with ABV (P) = 9.3% vol., such a concentration of ethanol could be too high for the yeasts to be effective depending on the strain used.

[0150] The inventors identified that, to limit yeast poisoning from excessively high ethanol concentrations, the TAV(P) value is ideally less than or equal to 9% vol. Following step (a), the TAV(P) is advantageously less than or equal to 10% vol., or less than or equal to 9% vol., 8% vol., 7% vol., 6% vol., or even less than or equal to 5% vol.

[0151] A step (a') of reducing the TAV (P) before step (b) can therefore advantageously be carried out, and this by several techniques well known to the person skilled in the art.

[0152] According to one embodiment of the invention, the permeate is subjected to at least one step (a') of reducing its TAV (P).

[0153] Preferably, this step (a') is carried out by evaporation, distillation, dilution or membrane contactor.

[0154] According to a first implementation, this step (a') does not involve any exogenous liquid input, meaning that no dealcoholization input is used. In this case, the reduction of the TAV(P) value is achieved by evaporation, dilution, or membrane contact using metabolized permeate, possibly filtered, as the diluent.

[0155] In particular, this step (a') can be carried out by direct dilution or by membrane contactor, using as a diluent metabolized permeate obtained during a previous implementation of the process, to carry away excess ethanol and thus lower the TAV (P) of the permeate before subjecting it to step (b).

[0156] Preferably, said metabolized permeate used as a diluent has a TAV value less than or equal to 1% vol., or less than or equal to 0.5% vol., more preferably equal to 0% vol.

[0157] According to a second implementation, this step (a') is carried out by dilution or by membrane contactor with a dealcoholizing input, using exogenous water, for example mineral water, as the diluent.

[0158] By carrying out a step (a') of reducing the TAV of the permeate, we thus take advantage of the benefits of both technologies, membrane separation and ethanol metabolization by a microbiological process: The effectiveness of the physical process for lowering the initial ABV, for example a reduction of the ABV value from 12 to 9% vol., and the microbiological performance which allows the total consumption of ethanol by the yeasts and therefore for example the lowering of the ABV value from 9% vol. to a lower value, ideally 0% vol. Step (b) of partial removal of ethanol contained in the permeate by yeasts in respiratory condition

[0159] In step (b) of the process according to the invention, the TAV (P) permeate is supplemented with yeast, said yeast being in a respiratory state and thus able to metabolize the ethanol present in the permeate, by a biochemical process of respiration.

[0160] For the purposes of the invention, "respiratory yeasts" means yeasts capable of transforming organic products in the presence of dioxygen to produce ATP.

[0161] This step (b) of ethanol metabolism is carried out under aerobic conditions, i.e. in the presence of dioxygen, more precisely in a liquid medium in the presence of dissolved dioxygen, supplied by continuous equilibration with an atmosphere containing dioxygen, or by a continuous flow of gas injected into the medium.

[0162] The elimination of ethanol present in the permeate may be partial or total. In the case where the elimination of ethanol is total, the metabolized permeate obtained will have a TAV value equal to 0% vol.

[0163] According to a particular implementation of the process, step (b) comprises three sub-steps: b1) Pre-culture of at least 10⁶ yeasts per millilitre, in a growth medium comprising a sugar source at a concentration between 40 and 120 g / kg, under aerobic conditions, b2) Culture of at least 10⁶ yeasts from step (b1) per millilitre, in a growth medium comprising a sugar source at a concentration between 40 and 120 g / kg, under aerobic conditions, the volume of culture being identical to the volume of permeate to be treated in the next step, b3) Addition of at least 2.10⁸ yeasts per millilitre to the permeate to be treated, and metabolization of the ethanol by the yeasts under aerobic conditions.

[0164] The first two phases (or sub-steps) aim at generating biomass by multiplying yeasts, as well as preparing the yeasts; then phase b3 corresponds to the phase of metabolizing the ethanol present in the permeate itself.

[0165] The quantities of yeast indicated above correspond to quantities of viable yeast.

[0166] The permeate is a hostile environment for yeast growth. It contains very few nutrients (except for ethanol), has very low conductivity, and a highly acidic pH (around 3, for example, pH 3.2). Therefore, it is best to establish a sufficient yeast biomass before adding it to the permeate to ensure efficient ethanol conversion.

[0167] Thanks to these pre-culture steps, the yeasts added to the permeate exhibit good viability and activity; moreover, they have stored important nutrients during this pre-culture, such as ions, nitrogen, vitamins and lipids.

[0168] Finally, the preculture conditions during phases (b1) and (b2) allow the yeasts to modify their metabolism, passing through the diauxic transition from a fermentation metabolism based on sugars to a respiration metabolism based on ethanol.

[0169] As is well known to those skilled in the art, between each phase b1, b2 and b3, the yeasts will be harvested, rinsed and changed container, if necessary.

[0170] This yeast pre-culture stage will be carried out under the usual conditions well known to those skilled in the art, such as the following conditions: at a temperature between 15°C and 38°C, and under agitation.

[0171] The growth media used during phases b1 and b2 are those well known to those skilled in the art.

[0172] In particular, the yeast growth medium contains inositol, at a concentration between 2 and 200 mg / L, and preferably at a concentration between 20 and 50 mg / L of medium. The effects of different inositol concentrations on yeast culture Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been reported in particular in the articles (Ishmayana et al., 2015) and (Ishmayana et al., 2020).

[0173] Advantageously, said growth medium may also include a source of nitrogen, in particular at a concentration between 300 and 400 mg / L, and zinc, in particular at a concentration of 3 to 5 mg / L, and vitamins and ions according to the needs of the yeast strain used.

[0174] For example, one could use a "standard" microbiology medium such as "Sabouraud", "Yeast Extract Peptone", or "Yeast Nitrogen Base", with or without amino acids, or even an "oenological" medium such as Activit O (IOC), a grape must, or a synthetic must as used by (Ochando et al. 2017). An example of a growth medium is presented in the experimental section.

[0175] Advantageously, the yeasts are cultivated aseptically.

[0176] The growth medium used in phases (b1) and (b2) contains a sugar source at a concentration of between 40 and 120 g / kg, particularly at a concentration of 80 g / kg. This sugar source may be of several types depending on the characteristics of the yeast strain used, such as glucose, sucrose, or a mixture of several sugars.

[0177] According to a preferred implementation, the sugar source consists exclusively of sucrose.

[0178] According to a particular implementation of the process, step (b1) lasts between 24 and 36 hours.

[0179] According to another particular implementation of the process, step (b2) lasts between 36 and 48 hours.

[0180] All these phases are carried out in the presence of oxygen, that is to say under aerobic conditions.

[0181] The consumption of ethanol by the yeasts takes place under aerobic conditions; following the addition of the yeasts to the permeate, the mixture is subjected to a constant flow of oxygen, suitable for the implementation of said ethanol metabolization, where the quantity of oxygen supplied is limited.

[0182] The oxygen flow rate used is adjusted according to the amount of ethanol present, to correspond to the total amount of oxygen previously calculated according to the following chemical equation: CH3-CH2-OH + 3 O2 -> 2 CO2 + 3 H2O.

[0183] According to a particular implementation of the process of the invention, the step (b3) of metabolizing ethanol by yeast is carried out under a flow rate of dioxygen between 0.001 and 0.010 volume per volume per minute (vvm), preferably between 0.002 and 0.008 vvm.

[0184] The classic aeration technique used for this step is carried out with an "air" type mixture composed of dioxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2), preferably comprising between 20 and 35% dioxygen, or more preferably between 28 and 34% dioxygen, to promote the respiratory metabolism of the yeasts.

[0185] For example, the aeration of the three phases b1, b2 and b3 can be carried out as follows: phase (b1): the yeasts are cultivated in Erlenmeyer flasks plugged with cotton, permeable to air; phase (b2): the yeasts are cultivated in a fermenter, with aeration as defined below: between 0.004 and 0.008 vvm of dioxygen, supplied either by the supply of a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, or by the supply of compressed air; phase (b3): ​​the yeasts are cultivated in a fermenter, with aeration as defined below: between 0.002 and 0.008 vvm of dioxygen, supplied either by the supply of a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, or by the supply of compressed air.

[0186] After partial or total metabolization of the ethanol present in the permeate, the yeasts are removed from the mixture, by any technique known to those skilled in the art, such as filtration or centrifugation, to obtain a fraction called "metabolized permeate" of TAV (metabolized P) of lower value than that of the initial permeate, TAV (P).

[0187] This phase (b3) in the presence of yeast can vary in duration. Its duration will depend in particular on the initial TAV (P), the type and quantity of yeast added.

[0188] For example, to achieve partial removal of the ethanol present in the permeate, a duration of 4 to 8 days for phase (b3) may be sufficient; for complete dealcoholization of a TAV(P) permeate of approximately 6% vol., between 24 and 32 days will be required, depending on the yeast strain used (see figures 4a , 4b , 4c ).

[0189] Table 5 in the experimental part presents steps (b3) lasting from 21 to 35 days, which resulted in a TAV value of less than 0.6% vol. in all cases, and in almost all cases a value of less than 0.2% vol.

[0190] During phase (b3), methods known to those skilled in the art will be used to monitor ethanol metabolism. For example, the decrease in the weight of the medium (permeate + yeast) can be monitored over time: when the weight of the medium stabilizes, this indicates that the ethanol metabolism reaction is complete. Furthermore, the flow rate and percentage of CO2 at the fermenter outlet can be monitored, either by sampling and then by measuring the ethanol content.

[0191] Preferably, this step (b3) will be carried out for a sufficient duration so that the TAV value of the metabolized permeate is less than or equal to 1% vol., more preferably less than or equal to 0.5% vol., and most preferably equal to 0% vol.

[0192] Thus, according to a particular implementation of the process, step (b3) is carried out until complete consumption of the alcohol in the permeate, i.e. until the value of TAV (P metabolized) is less than 0.8% vol., 0.7% vol., 0.6% vol., 0.5% vol., 0.4% vol., 0.3% vol., 0.2% vol. or less than 0.1% vol., or even equal to 0% vol.

[0193] As previously stated, the permeate consists mainly of water and ethanol; thus, the organic substrate available to yeast is primarily ethanol.

[0194] The process according to the invention advantageously allows (i) the preservation during the process of organic molecules of interest other than ethanol, such as glycerol and lactic acid, by carrying out a first step of physical separation of ethanol and glycerol, and thus offering the yeast only ethanol to consume; and (ii) the promotion of ethanol consumption by the yeast because this organic substrate is the major substrate in the permeate.

[0195] It is understood that any type of yeast capable of metabolizing ethanol under aerobic conditions may be used to carry out step (b) of the claimed process. Those skilled in the art will know how to select the yeast species and their culture conditions (temperature, quantity of yeast, culture medium, etc.) to optimize the consumption of ethanol present in the permeate.

[0196] Several types of yeast capable of consuming ethanol under aerobic conditions are known; by analyzing the metabolic characteristics of 439 yeast species, Barnett et al. (1990) identified 334 species capable of reproducing and growing in the presence of ethanol as the sole carbon source. Among them, 250 species exhibit normal growth, neither slowed nor variable, in particular the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but also Saccharomyces dairensis, Saccharomyces exiguus, Saccharomyces kluyveri, Saccharomyces telluris, And Saccharomyces unisporus.

[0197] According to one embodiment of the invention, the yeasts added to the permeate in step (b) are of the kind Saccharomyces.

[0198] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the yeasts added to the permeate in step (b) are of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Optional step (c)

[0199] According to a particular embodiment of the process according to the invention, it comprises a diafiltration step of the retentate with metabolized permeate, to obtain: a "diafiltered retentate" having a TAV value (diafiltered R) lower than TAV (R), and a "diafiltered metabolized permeate" having a TAV value higher than TAV (metabolized P), said diafiltered metabolized permeate being able to be re-submitted to the process of step (b), in particular to decrease its TAV value.

[0200] This retentate diafiltration step allows the TAV (R) of the retentate to be reduced.

[0201] This diafiltration step is carried out with a metabolized permeate having a lower TAV value than that of the retentate to be diafiltered.

[0202] Preferably, at the end of this diafiltration step, the ABV (diafiltered R) of the retentate will have a value of about 4% vol., preferably equal to or less than 4%, or even less than or equal to 3% vol., in order to obtain, after step (d) of association with metabolized permeate, a dealcoholized wine of ABV equal to or less than 0.5% vol. while retaining the initial proportions of retentate / permeate.

[0203] This optional step is implemented in particular in the case where the process is implemented with the aim of obtaining a totally dealcoholized wine with a TAV (2) value of less than 0.5% vol.

[0204] Diafiltration is a dilution process that involves the separation of certain components of a liquid containing soluble and filterable molecules, based on sorting the molecules according to their size and concentration using permeable filters of varying nanometric sizes.

[0205] Diafiltration is essentially a "washing" operation in which a "diafiltration agent" is added, continuously or intermittently, to a solution to selectively remove certain components from the solution thus "washed." It can be carried out in various ways: Continuous diafiltration at constant volume: a diafiltration agent (here, metabolized permeate) is added continuously at the same flow rate as the permeate from step (a). Ethanol is removed from the retentate as the metabolized permeate is added. Sequential diafiltration: the operation is carried out in batch mode, by dilution followed by concentration. The metabolized permeate is added sequentially to the retentate before the mixture is re-concentrated.

[0206] When this technique is performed sequentially, two new fractions are obtained, and in particular a retentate with a lowered TAV value. This diafiltration step is repeated as many times as necessary to achieve the desired reduction in the TAV value.

[0207] Advantageously, this diafiltration step is carried out at least twice, preferably at least three times in succession to lower the TAV of the retentate.

[0208] Advantageously, this diafiltration is carried out with the same membrane or a membrane of the same type as that used for the membrane separation of step (a), i.e. a membrane with a salt rejection rate greater than 0.9.

[0209] Advantageously, this diafiltration step is carried out without any exogenous liquid input, i.e., without any other input, using the metabolized permeate, possibly filtered, as the diafiltration agent; thus, all the elements used in the process are derived from the initial wine. The use of an endogenous diafiltration agent, since it is obtained solely from the initial wine, is a particularly remarkable and advantageous feature of the invention.

[0210] The term “diafiltration rate” refers to the number of sequential or continuous dilutions of the retentate by diafiltration. Metabolized permeate as obtained and its use

[0211] This description also relates to a process for obtaining a metabolized permeate, comprising the following steps: a) Separation of a wine into two fractions using a membrane separation method: A concentrated fraction with a factor k called the "retentate", the volume of this fraction being equal to 1 / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(R); A fraction called the "permeate" comprising mainly water and ethanol, the volume of this fraction being equal to (k-1) / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(P); b) Elimination of ethanol from the permeate by yeasts added to said permeate, said yeasts being in a respiratory state in order to metabolize the ethanol, the fraction thus obtained called the "metabolized permeate" having a value of TAV(P metabolized) lower than TAV(P).

[0212] This description also relates to a metabolized permeate that can be obtained by implementing the process described above.

[0213] This metabolized permeate is obtained in step (b) of the process described in this application, and has a value of TAV (P metabolized) less than TAV (P), preferably less than 1% vol., or less than 0.8% vol., or even less than 0.5% vol., and more preferably equal to 0% vol.

[0214] According to an alternative, the metabolized permeate is obtained from a mixture of metabolized permeates obtained during the repeated implementation of steps a and b of the process of the invention.

[0215] Advantageously, this metabolized permeate has a TAV (metabolized P) of a value of less than 5% vol., less than 4%, less than 3%, less than 2% or less than 1% vol., less than 0.5% vol, and more preferably equal to 0% vol.

[0216] This description also relates to the use of this metabolized permeate as a permeate diluent in step (a') or as a retentate diafiltration agent in the optional step (c).

[0217] In this use case, the metabolized permeate will have a lower TAV value than the retentate to be diluted or diafiltered.

[0218] Advantageously, the metabolized permeate will be filtered before any further use.

[0219] This metabolized permeate, possibly filtered, can be used in the implementation of another step of the process of the invention: during step (d), for the preparation of a volume V2 of dealcoholized wine, in association with a volume of retentate, as detailed below. Application of the process according to the invention for the partial or total dealcoholization of a wine

[0220] The process according to the invention can be applied to obtain different end products: a) to obtain a partially dealcoholized wine; or b) to obtain a totally dealcoholized wine.

[0221] Thus, according to a first aspect, the invention relates to a process for the partial dealcoholization of a volume V1 of wine.

[0222] This partial dealcoholization process includes the implementation of the following steps: a) Separation of the volume V1 of the wine into two fractions using a membrane separation method: A concentrated fraction with a factor k called the "retentate", the volume of this fraction being equal to 1 / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(R); A fraction called the "permeate" comprising mainly water and ethanol, the volume of this fraction being equal to (k-1) / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(P); b) Elimination of ethanol from the permeate by yeasts added to said permeate, said yeasts being in a respiratory state in order to metabolize the ethanol, the fraction thus obtained called the "metabolized permeate" having a value of TAV(P metabolized) lower than TAV(P); and d) Association of a volume of retentate and a volume of metabolized permeate, to obtain a volume V2 of dealcoholized wine, presenting a value of TAV (2) lower than TAV (1).

[0223] The partially dealcoholized wine thus obtained will have a lower ABV value than the original wine.

[0224] According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a process for the total dealcoholization of a volume V1 of wine.

[0225] This process of total (or complete) dealcoholization of a volume V1 of wine includes the implementation of the following steps: a) Separation of the volume V1 of the wine into two fractions using a membrane separation method: A concentrated fraction with a factor k called the "retentate", the volume of this fraction being equal to 1 / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(R); A fraction called the "permeate" comprising mainly water and ethanol, the volume of this fraction being equal to (k-1) / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(P); b) Removal of ethanol from the permeate by yeasts added to said permeate, said yeasts being in a respiratory state in order to metabolize the ethanol, the fraction thus obtained called the "metabolized permeate" having a value of TAV(P metabolized) less than TAV(P); c) diafiltration of the retentate with metabolized permeate having a TAV of a value equal to 0% vol., to obtain: a "diafiltered retentate" having an ABV value (R diafiltered) less than ABV (R), and a "diafiltered metabolized permeate" having an ABV value greater than ABV (P metabolized), said diafiltered metabolized permeate then being resubmitted to step (b) until an ABV value of less than or equal to 0.5% vol., preferably equal to 0% vol. is obtained; d) Combination of a volume of diafiltered retentate, and a volume of metabolized permeate having an ABV value less than or equal to 0.5% vol., preferably equal to 0% vol., to obtain a volume V2 of dealcoholized wine, having an ABV value (2) less than or equal to 0.5% vol.

[0226] In this implementation, the process includes the 4 steps a, b, c, and d, carried out successively.

[0227] In this implementation and unlike a partial dealcoholization process, the diafiltered metabolized permeate is re-submitted to step (b) as needed to reduce its ABV until it has an ABV (metabolized P) of a value less than or equal to 0.5%, preferably equal to 0% vol.

[0228] The fully dealcoholized wine thus obtained will have a TAV value of less than 0.5% vol. Step (d) of combining two fractions

[0229] The final step of the process involves combining a volume of retentate, optionally diafiltered, and a volume of metabolized permeate, to obtain a volume V2 of dealcoholized wine, exhibiting a TAV (2) value lower than TAV (1).

[0230] The term "association" is synonymous with reunion, mixing or grouping, and refers to the fact that the two fractions previously separated in step (a) are reunited, in whole or in part, to constitute a certain volume of dealcoholized wine.

[0231] According to one implementation of the process, the metabolized permeate is first filtered to remove any undesirable residue in the dealcoholized wine of volume V2. Such an implementation is well known to those skilled in the art.

[0232] A complete partial dealcoholization process is illustrated in figure 1 : in this example, the partially dealcoholized wine of volume V2, consists of the metabolized permeate and retentate obtained during steps a and b.

[0233] A complete process of total dealcoholization is illustrated in figure 2: in this example, the completely dealcoholized wine of volume V2, consists of metabolized permeate and diafiltered retentate obtained by implementing steps a, b and c.

[0234] According to a preferred implementation, the combination of the two fractions constituting the volume V2 of dealcoholized wine is carried out in the following proportions: The volume of the metabolized permeate, possibly filtered, is equal to (k-1) / k V2; and the volume of the retentate, optionally diafiltered, is equal to 1 / k V2. This allows us to maintain the initial separation proportions of the two fractions.

[0235] The combination of the two fractions constituting the volume V2 of dealcoholized wine can be carried out according to all the respective proportions of retentate and metabolized permeate which will be deemed advantageous by a person skilled in the art.

[0236] However, this association is preferably carried out respecting the respective proportions of retentate and permeate obtained during step (a) of the process, depending on the concentration factor k applied.

[0237] Indeed, as the person skilled in the art will easily understand, the process according to the invention inevitably results in a slight loss of volume of the initial wine, due to the successive transfers of liquids.

[0238] Since the ethanol present in the permeate is metabolized into water and CO2 during step (b), according to the following chemical equation: CH3-CH2-OH + 3 O2 -> 2 CO2 + 3 H2O, the volume loss related to the removal of ethanol is limited because the volume of ethanol is partially replaced by the volume of water.

[0239] According to a particular implementation, the process according to the invention does not include an exogenous supply of water or other liquid to compensate for this loss of volume.

[0240] In any case, in order to best preserve the taste qualities of the dealcoholized wine compared to the taste qualities of the original wine, it is recommended to try to preserve the typicity of the original wine and in particular the initial proportions of the compounds of interest, and in particular the aromatic compounds, which have been concentrated by a factor k in the retentate.

[0241] Thus, in the case where k=8, 7 / 8 of metabolized permeate (from one or more cycles) will be combined with 1 / 8 of retentate (from one or more cycles) to obtain a partially or totally dealcoholized wine, depending on the ABVs of the metabolized permeate and retentate used for the combination.

[0242] The dealcoholized wine thus obtained has a TAV (2) value lower than the TAV of the initial wine designated TAV (1).

[0243] In the case of a total dealcoholization process, during step (d), a diafiltered retentate with an ABV (diafiltered R) value less than or equal to 4% vol. is preferably combined with a metabolized permeate with an ABV (metabolized P) value equal to 0% vol. This ensures that the respective proportions of the two initial fractions obtained following the membrane separation step are maintained in the dealcoholized wine. Different operating modes of the process of the invention

[0244] The process of the invention can in particular be carried out in "batch" mode or in "fed-batch" mode.

[0245] When the process is carried out in "batch" or "fed-batch" mode, step (d) of combining the fractions consists of combining: the retentate obtained in step (a) which was retained, optionally diafiltered, and the metabolized permeate obtained in step (b), possibly filtered.

[0246] According to one embodiment of the invention, the association of the two fractions constituting the dealcoholized wine is carried out by combining metabolized permeate obtained during one or more successive cycles, or during a process previously implemented, and / or retentate (optionally diafiltered) obtained during one or more successive cycles.

[0247] According to a particular implementation, all metabolized permeates from all previous cycles are mixed together and therefore cannot be distinguished according to the cycle from which they were obtained; in this case, the expression "metabolized permeate" refers to a fraction of permeate that has been subjected to step (b) of ethanol metabolization, without distinction of the cycle of production.

[0248] According to a particular implementation, all retentates from all previous cycles are mixed together and therefore cannot be distinguished according to the cycle from which they were obtained; in this case, the term "retentate" refers to a fraction of retentates obtained in step (a) of membrane separation, possibly diafiltered in step (c), without distinction of the cycle of obtaining. Specific implementations of the process and additional process steps

[0249] For the purposes of the invention, it is understood that the process includes the essential steps (a), (b) and (d) but may include other, optional steps which may optimize or improve the claimed process, such as the steps (a') and (c) previously presented.

[0250] According to one implementation, the process includes steps a, b and d of the process.

[0251] According to another implementation, the process consists of steps a, b and d of the process.

[0252] According to another implementation, the process includes steps a, b, c and d of the process.

[0253] According to another implementation, the process consists of steps a, b, c and d of the process.

[0254] According to another implementation, the process includes steps a, a', b, c and d of the process.

[0255] According to another implementation, the process consists of steps a, a', b, c and d of the process.

[0256] Furthermore, it may be advantageous to add additional steps to the process to allow the use of each fraction obtained during the process, reducing the waste inherent in the implementation of said process.

[0257] According to one implementation of the process, the wine subjected to the process of the invention is a white wine, a rosé wine or a red wine.

[0258] According to one implementation of the process, the wine subjected to the process of the invention contains less than 10 g / L of residual sugars.

[0259] According to one embodiment of the process according to the invention, the wine subjected to the process of the invention is a white wine, a rosé wine, a red wine, and / or a still wine or a sparkling wine, optionally previously degassed. It may, in particular, be a base wine, that is to say, a wine intended for the production of a sparkling wine but before the carbonation step.

[0260] When the wine subjected to the process according to the invention is a sparkling wine, it may be advantageous to degas it beforehand. According to this implementation of the process according to the invention, it may be envisaged, after step (d) of association, to introduce CO2 into the dealcoholized wine obtained, of volume V2.

[0261] According to another implementation of the process, after the association step, the volume V2 of the dealcoholized wine obtained can be filtered, for example through charcoal, to remove any undesirable compounds.

[0262] All these additional steps are well known to those skilled in the art and do not need to be explained in further detail. Final blending of dealcoholized wine - in the case of sparkling wine, particularly champagne

[0263] According to a particular implementation, the process is carried out without the addition of dealcoholization input, in particular without the addition of exogenous water, and thus the dealcoholized wine after association of the two fractions consists only of elements from the initial wine.

[0264] This is particularly advantageous from a regulatory point of view, for wines whose characteristics are defined by Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées (AOC), characteristics which must therefore be strictly respected.

[0265] The vast majority of Champagne wines are made from a blend of different crus, of the three main Champagne grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier), from previous harvests, incorporated in varying percentages.

[0266] Whatever its specificity, a blend almost always relies on the three parameters mentioned above: terroirs, grape varieties, and vintages.

[0267] The blending is done by each winemaker in order to obtain a balance, a particular harmony between the different characteristics sought, a unique style.

[0268] Champagne wines are also characterized by bottle fermentation, which allows for the "prise de mousse," meaning the carbonation of the wine through the in-situ production of CO2 trapped within the bottle. It is also possible to carry out this carbonation in tanks using exogenous CO2, as is the case for other sparkling wines not made using the traditional "Champagne method," which is characterized in particular by this secondary fermentation in the bottle.

[0269] The dealcoholization process according to the present invention can be carried out on a Champagne wine, after its blending, bottling, secondary fermentation and degassing; or can be carried out on a still wine, before or after blending, said still wine being intended for the production of a Champagne wine.

[0270] The invention relates particularly to a process for dealcoholizing a still wine obtained by degassing a ready-to-drink Champagne wine.

[0271] The process according to the invention can also be implemented on a still wine intended to be used in a blend to obtain a Champagne wine or any other type of sparkling wine.

[0272] Thus, the present invention relates to a process for dealcoholizing a volume V1 of a still wine as described above, having an alcoholic strength by volume (ABV) of value ABV (1), comprising the implementation of the following steps: a) Separation of the volume V1 of the wine into two fractions using a membrane separation method: A concentrated fraction with a factor k called the "retentate", the volume of this fraction being equal to 1 / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(R); A fraction called the "permeate" comprising mainly water and ethanol, the volume of this fraction being equal to (k-1) / k V1, this fraction having a value of TAV(P); b) Elimination of ethanol from the permeate by yeasts added to said permeate, said yeasts being in a respiratory state in order to metabolize the ethanol, the fraction thus obtained called the "metabolized permeate" having a value of TAV(P metabolized) lower than TAV(P);c) Optionally, diafiltration of the retentate with metabolized permeate, to obtain: a "diafiltered retentate" having a TAV value (R diafiltered) lower than TAV (R), and a "diafiltered metabolized permeate" having a TAV value higher than TAV (P metabolized), said diafiltered metabolized permeate then optionally being resubmitted to step (b); d) Combination of a volume of retentate, optionally diafiltered, and a volume of metabolized permeate, to obtain a volume V2 of dealcoholized wine having a TAV value (2) lower than TAV (1).

[0273] All other specific implementations presented in this application are applicable to this dealcoholization process of still wine, from a champagne or intended to be blended to obtain a Champagne wine.

[0274] In particular, said dealcoholization may be partial or complete.

[0275] After dealcoholization, the resulting still dealcoholized wine can be subjected to any necessary steps to produce a sparkling dealcoholized wine: blending, carbonation, bottling, etc. EXAMPLES Example 1. Physical separation by reverse osmosis of a dry white wine into two fractions, permeate 1 and retentate 1 (step a)

[0276] The reverse osmosis equipment essentially consists of a high-pressure pump capable of delivering up to 60 bar and a 2.5-inch diameter reverse osmosis membrane (Reference: Alfa Laval RO98pHt). 26 m² of membrane were installed.

[0277] A diagram of the equipment is shown in figure 3 .

[0278] The wine used is a dry white wine, with less than 10 g / L of residual sugars, having a TAV value of 11.5% vol.

[0279] 500 litres of wine are introduced into the feed tank (1), which has been previously inerted. The tank is then hermetically sealed, and a tank head containing less than 2% O2 is maintained by successive additions of nitrogen via the pressure regulator (3).

[0280] The feed unit is then hydraulically connected to the Reverse Osmosis (RO) unit (middle rectangle), and the wine is pumped to the RO equipment by the feed unit's centrifugal pump (10). The RO unit's positive pressure pump (15) is then activated to circulate the wine near the membrane (16). The portion of wine exiting the RO unit returns to the feed tank via the strainer (12), the mass flow meter (11), and the plate heat exchanger (7). The strainer (12) retains scale crystals that form due to concentration. The mass flow meter (11) measures both the flow rate and the density, thus monitoring the concentration throughout the process. The heat exchanger (7) dissipates the energy supplied by the positive pressure pump (15), thereby regulating the temperature of the retentate loop to approximately 15°C.The pressure is obtained by progressively closing the pressure valve (17), typically until a pressure of approximately 50 bar is obtained at the inlet of the membrane.

[0281] In this example, the separation is carried out at approximately 50 bar of pressure maintained continuously on the retentate side. The operation is continued until a FCV (Volume Concentration Factor) of k=8 is reached.

[0282] The flow rate (L / h / m²) applied to the membrane decreases as the permeate flows. The mass of ethanol passing into the permeate is measured instantaneously over time using a hydrometer. The ethanol / permeate concentration (% vol.) is calculated from the mass percentage of ethanol, taking into account the density of ethanol (789 g / L), i.e., by dividing the mass percentage of ethanol by 0.789.

[0283] Table 2 below presents the measurements obtained during a test with an ALFA LAVAL RO98pHt membrane used in a reverse osmosis process applied to a dry white wine. Table 2 Time (min) Permeate (kg) Permeate ethanol content (% w / w) Permeate ethanol content (%vol.) FCV (k) Flow rate (L / h / m²) 0 10 17 3,8 4,8 1,03 7,7 60 124 4,8 6,1 1,32 5,2 120 223 6,1 7,7 1,77 3,4 180 296 7,6 9,6 2,36 2,3 240 348 9,3 11,8 3,09 1,4 300 387 10,7 13,6 4,04 1,4 360 416 12,1 15,3 5,23 0,9 400 431 13 16,5 6,18 0,9 410 434 13,2 16,7 6,41 0,7 420 439 12,8 16,2 6,83 1,1 430 443 13,1 16,6 7,22 0,9

[0284] This yields 60 litres (L) of retentate and 440 litres (L) of permeate.

[0285] The TAV of the permeate is measured instantaneously during its flow, and therefore does not reflect the final TAV of the homogenized permeate, which is 10% vol. However, it is observed that the TAV of the flowing permeate increases over time.

[0286] The experiment was also carried out on sweet white wine, with a lower flow rate: the results obtained are presented in example 13. Example 2. Process according to the invention with k = 2 for obtaining a dry white wine with a low alcohol content (partial dealcoholization)

[0287] A dry white wine with an ABV of 11.6% vol. is treated according to the process of the invention.

[0288] The first physical separation step (a) is carried out using a membrane, by reverse osmosis, under a pressure of 50 bars, as shown in example 1.

[0289] The retentate concentration factor is equal to 2, which allows us to obtain the following distribution: Table 3 Product or fraction Wine Permeate Retentat Volume 2 / 2 1 / 2 1 / 2 TAV observed for each fraction 11.6% vol. 7.73% vol. 15.46% vol. Ethanol concentration of each fraction (g / L) 91.5 g / L 61.0 g / L 122.0 g / L

[0290] Step (b) is then conducted so as to obtain a permeate having a TAV value equal to 0% vol.

[0291] No diafiltration of the retentate is performed.

[0292] During step (d) of association, all of the metabolized permeate and all of the retentate are combined in the following proportions: ½ volume of permeate at 0% vol., and ½ volume of retentate at 15.46% vol.

[0293] This gives us a volume V2 of dealcoholized wine with an ABV (2) equal to 7.73%, i.e. a value equal to 2 / 3 of the initial ABV (1). Example 3. Culture medium for the yeasts used in step (b)

[0294] Several types of culture media can be used for yeast pre-culture during steps (b1) and (b2) of the process.

[0295] The medium whose composition is shown in Table 4 below is considered the optimal culture medium for carrying out the process according to the invention. The pH of this medium is 3.2. This medium was prepared from a synthetic must medium. Table 4 Compounds Quantity Unit Sucrose 80 g / kg Magnesium sulfate 0,25 g / kg Potassium sulfate 0,5 g / kg Calcium chloride 0,155 g / kg Tartaric acid 5 g / kg Malic acid 5 g / kg DAP (NH4)2HPO4 1,749 g / kg Zinc sulfate heptahydrate 4 mg / kg Biotin 3 µg / kg Calcium Pantothenate 1500 µg / kg Inositol (myo-inositol) 50000 µg / kg Thiamine Hydrochloride 318 µg / kg qsp 1 kg Water Example 4. Pre-culture and yeast culture stages

[0296] Step (b) takes place in three sub-phases, named b1, b2 and b3.

[0297] The first two phases prepare the yeast for phase b3, known as the ethanol metabolism or transformation phase of the permeate. The yeast thus acquires good viability, biomass, and accumulates the necessary nutrients (e.g., ions, nitrogen, vitamins, unsaturated lipids) for the ethanol metabolism phase, which can be lengthy.

[0298] A typical example of cultivation during the different phases is given below: 1. Phase b1: In an Erlenmeyer flask, with a cotton plug, using LSA (Active Dry Yeast), at 28°C, with stirring at 150 rpm, for 27 h; the plug is permeable, therefore the culture is carried out under "light" aerobic conditions. 2. Phase b2: In a fermenter, at 23°C, with stirring at 150 rpm, for 41.5 h, with aeration according to the following conditions: O2 0.004 volume / volume / min (vvm) and N2 0.008 vvm. 3. Phase b3: In a fermenter, at 25°C, with stirring at 150 rpm, with aeration according to the following conditions: O2 0.0024 vvm and N2 0.0048 vvm. Example 5. Microbiological step (b) performed on a permeate

[0299] The examples shown below were carried out on permeate derived from white wine.

[0300] This is a permeate with approximately 10% vol. alcohol, obtained from a reverse osmosis separation of a white wine, then diluted to an initial ABV of approximately 6% vol. with the addition of spring water (Cristaline brand).

[0301] The yeasts were previously cultured under the conditions described for steps (b1) and (b2) before being added to the permeate, at a concentration of at least 2.10 8< yeasts per millilitre of permeate.

[0302] The yeasts tested are briefly described below: The "LalBrew® Abbey" strain is a Belgian, top-fermenting brewing yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is distributed by the company Lallemand. The strain "Vitilevure ®< DV10" distributed by the company Danstar is a yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, used in winemaking and for the production of sparkling wines (for the "prise de mousse"). The IOC Harmonie® strain is a yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Exhibiting high resistance to ethanol, it is used in winemaking. It was selected by the University of California, Davis, and is known as 522 Davis. It is distributed by the IOC under the trade name Harmonie.

[0303] Table 5 below presents different tests for the metabolism of ethanol present in permeate.

[0304] Two conditions were tested: in "batch" mode and in "Fed-batch" mode.

[0305] The conditions of the "Batch" mode are as follows: start in a fermenter at full working volume, on permeate diluted with Cristalline water, to obtain a TAV value of approximately 6% vol.

[0306] The conditions for the "Fed-Batch" method are as follows: the process begins in a fermenter at its minimum volume (40% of the final fermenter volume) using permeate diluted with Cristaline water to obtain an ABV (Alcohol by Volume) of approximately 6% vol. Subsequent "Fed-Batch" additions are made with the same undiluted permeate. Thus, in Fed-Batch conditions, the volume of diluent is reduced. During the ethanol metabolism process, when the ABV reaches approximately 0.5% vol., more permeate is added to raise the ABV to 4.6% vol., and so on until the maximum fermenter volume is reached. Table 5 Essay Volume (L) Yeast strain tested Kind Starting ABV (% vol.) TAV (% vol.) Total duration (days) 98 1,2 Lallbrew Abbey Batch 6,29 0,16 28 99 1,2 Danstar DV10 Batch 6,22 0,13 21 99 1,2 Danstar DV10 Fed-Batch 6,57 0,12 29 101 1,2 Danstar DV10 Batch 6,19 0,11 35 106 1,2 IOC Harmonie Batch 6,23 0,56 23

[0307] There Figure 4a illustrates the kinetics of ethanol metabolism by yeast strains Saccharomyces cerevisiae, using the data presented in table 5 above, in batch mode.

[0308] There Figure 4b illustrates the kinetics of ethanol metabolism by the DV10 strain, in batch and fed-batch modes.

[0309] Another test of ethanol metabolism from a permeate derived from dry white wine was carried out.

[0310] The two strains used are non-species -Saccharomyces : Laktia Yeast ™< ( Lachancea thermotolerans ) selected and marketed by Lallemand Oenology for increasing lactic acid in winemaking, especially in warm regions; Biodiva™ ( Torulaspora delbrueckii ) selected and marketed by Lallemand Œnologie for improving aromatic and gustatory complexity and the production of sweet wines, naturally sweet wines, late harvest wines, and ice wines.

[0311] The examples presented in figure 4cwere carried out on permeate from white wine. This is a permeate with approximately 10% vol. alcohol, obtained by a reverse osmosis separation of a white wine, then diluted to an initial ABV as noted below with the addition of spring water (Cristaline brand).

[0312] The yeasts were previously cultured under the conditions described for steps (b1) and (b2) before being added to the permeate, at a concentration of at least 2.10 8< yeasts per millilitre of permeate.

[0313] To start step b3, the yeasts were added to permeates with a TAV equal to: 6.23% vol. of ethanol for the Laktia™ strain, and 1.74% vol. of ethanol for the Biodiva™ strain; in a volume of 1.2 liters (1.2 L) of permeate.

[0314] The growing conditions are identical to those in example 4 with a few variations, including: phase b2 was conducted at 25°C, with an oxygen flow rate of 0.008 vvm and a nitrogen flow rate of 0.016 vvm; during phase b3, the oxygen flow rate was 0.004 vvm and the nitrogen flow rate was 0.008 vvm for the Biodiva™ strain, and the oxygen flow rate was 0.008 vvm and the nitrogen flow rate was 0.016 vvm for the Laktia™ strain.

[0315] At the end of the culture, the yeasts are removed by centrifugation and filtration at 0.2 µm, then the metabolized permeate is stored in sterilized bottles.

[0316] The results are presented in figure 4c : for a starting ABV of 6.23% vol. the duration of the ethanol metabolism step was 32 days for the Laktia™< strain; for a starting ABV of 1.74% vol. the duration of the ethanol metabolism step was 8 to 11 days for the Biodiva™< strain but with a small residual ethanol of 0.2% vol.

[0317] There figure 4cillustrates the kinetics of ethanol metabolism by non-strains Saccharomyces Lachancea thermotolerans and Torulaspora delbrueckii. Example 6. Microbiological step (b3) performed on a permeate

[0318] Another ethanol metabolism test of the permeate was carried out under the conditions specified below. The results are presented in figure 5 .

[0319] The strains tested are all of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, all native to the Champagne wine region and all known to be used for the vinification of Champagne, or more generally sparkling wines vinified according to the Champagne method: Vitilevure DV10 ®< and Levuline CHP ®<, selected by the Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC) and marketed by the company Danstar; and IOC18-2007, selected and marketed by the company Institut Œnologique de Champagne.

[0320] The yeasts are added to permeate having a TAV of 2.5% vol. or 5% vol. of ethanol; in a volume of 1.2 litres (1.2 L) of permeate; under stirring at 150 rpm; at 25°C.

[0321] The culture conditions are identical to those of example 4 with some variations, notably: the yeast inoculation rate is 3 to 4.10 8< yeasts per millilitre, with an oxygen flow rate of 0.007 vvm and a nitrogen flow rate of 0.016 vvm.

[0322] At the end of the culture, the yeasts are removed by centrifugation and filtration at 0.2 µm, then the metabolized permeate is stored in sterilized bottles.

[0323] The results are presented in figure 5: for the permeate with an initial TAV value of 2.5% vol., 5 to 6 days are sufficient to obtain a TAV value of 0% vol.; for an initial TAV value of 5% vol., the duration of the ethanol metabolism step is between 10 and 12 days, depending on the yeast strain used. Example 7. Diafiltration of the retentate with metabolized permeate as a diafiltering agent

[0324] This example illustrates the optional step (c) of the process according to the invention, which is implemented according to a particularly preferred mode of the invention.

[0325] The diafiltration of the retentate is carried out here with the preferred diafiltering agent according to the invention, a metabolized permeate with a TAV value of 0% vol., at a pressure of about 50 bars, until a diafiltration ratio of 1 is reached. This is an instantaneous measurement, the values ​​presented below therefore do not represent the final result. Table 6 Time (min) Input: Mass of metabolized permeate (diafiltering agent) (kg) Output: Mass of diafiltered metabolized permeate (kg) Ethanol content of diafiltered metabolized permeate (%w / w) Flow rate (L / h / m²) Diafiltration rate 0 10 5,65 4 12,4 0,9 0,06 20 11,2 8 11,8 0,9 0,13 30 16,65 12 10,8 0,9 0,19 40 22,15 17 9,9 1,1 0,27 50 27,65 22 9 1,1 0,34 60 33,15 27 8,2 1,1 0,42 70 38,65 32 7,6 1,1 0,50 80 44,1 38 7 1,4 0,59 90 49,6 44 6,4 1,4 0,69 100 55,1 50 6 1,4 0,78 110 60,5 56 5,7 1,4 0,88 120 64 64 5,3 1,4 1,00

[0326] This diafiltration step can be carried out as many times as necessary to obtain a retentate with the desired TAV. Example 8. Metabolism of ethanol by yeast after dilution of the permeate with metabolized permeate, used as a diluting agent

[0327] Another ethanol metabolism test of the permeate from dry white wine was carried out under the conditions specified below. The results are presented in figure 6 .

[0328] The examples presented below were carried out using permeate derived from white wine. This is a permeate with approximately 10% vol. alcohol, obtained from a reverse osmosis separation of white wine, then diluted with the addition of 0% vol. permeate from a prior dealcoholization cycle, in order to adjust the alcohol content of the mixture to 6.25% vol.

[0329] The strains tested are all of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae : The Vitilevure EC-1118 ®< strain is a yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Used for fermentation safety and foaming and marketed by Danstar, the Zyamaflore Delta ® strain is a yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae marketed by the company Laffort, the Lalvin ICV D80 strain is a yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae Selected in Côte Rôtie to develop the concentrated and powerful aromatic and gustatory characteristics of Mediterranean red wines, the ICV K1 strain is a yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae Selected in Languedoc to improve the safety of alcoholic fermentation under difficult conditions, these last two strains are marketed by the Institut Coopératif du Vin. The IOC Prestige strain is a yeast of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae selected for its fermentation of red wines with respect for the terroir, and marketed by the company Institut Œnologique de Champagne.

[0330] The yeasts were previously cultured under the conditions described for steps (b1) and (b2) before being added to the permeate, at a concentration of at least 2 x 10⁸ yeasts per milliliter of permeate. The culture conditions are identical to those of Example 4 with some variations, including: phase b2 was conducted at 25°C, with an oxygen flow rate of 0.008 vvm and a nitrogen flow rate of 0.016 vvm; during phase b3, the oxygen flow rate was 0.004 vvm and the nitrogen flow rate was 0.008 vvm.

[0331] To start step b3, the yeasts were added to a permeate with a TAV of 6.25% vol. of ethanol; in a volume of 1.2 liters (1.2 L) of permeate; under stirring at 150 rpm; at 25°C.

[0332] At the end of the culture, the yeasts are removed by centrifugation and filtration at 0.2 µm, then the metabolized permeate is stored in sterilized bottles.

[0333] The results are presented in figure 6: for a starting ABV of 6.25% vol., the duration of the ethanol metabolism stage is between 25 and 39 days, depending on the yeast strain used.

[0334] Another ethanol metabolism test of permeates from white wine, rosé wine, and red wine was carried out under the conditions specified below. The results are presented in figure 7 .

[0335] This metabolization was carried out on different permeates from white wine, rosé wine, red wine by maceration, or red wine by thermovinification.

[0336] Each one consists of a permeate of approximately 10% vol. alcohol, obtained from a separating reverse osmosis, then diluted with the addition of 0% vol. permeate obtained from a prior dealcoholization cycle in order to adjust the alcohol level of the mixture to 6.25% vol.

[0337] The two strains tested are of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae : Vitilevure DV10 ®< selected by the Inter-professional Committee of Champagne Wine (CIVC) and marketed by the company Danstar; and IOC18-2007, selected and marketed by the company Institut Œnologique de Champagne.

[0338] The yeasts were previously cultured under the conditions described for steps (b1) and (b2) before being added to the permeate, at a concentration of at least 2 x 10⁸ yeasts per milliliter of permeate. The culture conditions are identical to those of Example 4 with some variations, including: phase b2 was conducted at 25°C, with an oxygen flow rate of 0.008 vvm and a nitrogen flow rate of 0.016 vvm; during phase b3, the oxygen flow rate was 0.004 vvm and the nitrogen flow rate was 0.008 vvm.

[0339] To start step b3, the yeasts are added to a permeate whose TAV is equal to 6.25% vol. of ethanol; in a volume of 1.2 liters (1.2 L) of permeate.

[0340] At the end of the culture, the yeasts are removed by centrifugation and filtration at 0.2 µm, then the metabolized permeate is stored in sterilized bottles.

[0341] The results are presented in figure 7 : for a starting TAV of value equal to 6.25% vol., the duration of the ethanol metabolization stage is between 22 and 58 days, depending on the yeast strain used and the type of permeate. Example 9. Complete process for the total dealcoholization of a dry white wine and characterization of the organoleptic properties of the different fractions (retentate, permeate, metabolized permeate) and of the dealcoholized wine obtained, using physicochemical parameters and tasting notes

[0342] All the fractions produced and used in this example (permeate, filtered permeate, retentate, diafiltered retentate...) come from a single batch of wine but from several different cycles.

[0343] The values ​​shown in this example are approximations to one decimal place of the values ​​actually measured, except in the tables. • Step (a): Permeate preparation (cycle 1)

[0344] 516 kg of dry white wine at 11.3% vol. are subjected to the conditions of step a) as described in Example 1 and yield 451 kg of permeate at 9.2% vol. and 52.4 kg of retentate at 20.5% vol. This permeate will be used in the remainder of the example. Retentate preparation (cycle 2)

[0345] 514 kg of dry white wine at 11.3% vol. are subjected to the conditions of step a) as described in Example 1 and yield 449.5 kg of permeate at 9.7% vol. and 64 kg of retentate at 21.7% vol. This retentate will be used in the remainder of the example. • Step (a'): reduction in the TAV of the permeate

[0346] 38.6 kg of the 9.2% vol. permeate (from step (a) cycle 1) were mixed with 11.2 kg of metabolized (TAV equal to 0% vol.) and filtered permeate from a prior dealcoholization cycle to adjust the alcohol content of the mixture to 7.1% vol. • Step (b): removal of ethanol from the permeate

[0347] The ethanol metabolism of this permeate according to step (b3) is carried out under the conditions of example 6 using a strain 522 Davis (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), marketed by the IOC (Institut Œnologique de Champagne) under the name Harmonie ®< .

[0348] The pre-culture and culture of these yeasts according to steps (b1), (b2) and (b3) is carried out as described in examples 3 and 4.

[0349] 43.9 kg of metabolized permeate at 0% vol. were obtained. After filtration of this metabolized permeate, 38.9 kg of filtered metabolized permeate were obtained. • Step (c): diafiltration of the retentate

[0350] A series of diafiltrations of the retentate is then carried out under the conditions of example 7 in order to reduce the TAV of the retentate to reach a value of TAV approximately equal to 4% vol.

[0351] To do this, 64 kg of retentate obtained at the end of step (a) (cycle2) are diafiltered with 256 kg of filtered metabolized permeate from a prior dealcoholization cycle, to obtain 64 kg of diafiltered retentate at 4.2% vol. and 256 kg of diafiltered metabolized permeate at 5.3% vol. • Step (d) association of 2 fractions

[0352] A dealcoholized wine with an ABV of approximately 0.5% vol. is obtained according to step (d) by reconstituting these two fractions by mixing their volumes to obtain the desired ABV, namely 4.98 kg of diafiltered retentate and 33.98 kg of metabolized permeate at 0% vol. After homogenization and filtration, 35.21 kg of dealcoholized wine at 0.5% vol. were obtained.

[0353] Chromatographic analyses (HPLC on a device marketed by Biorad) were carried out to determine the sugar, organic acid, alcohol and amino acid content of the different fractions obtained during the process of the invention.

[0354] ICP-MS analyses were performed to determine the mineral element concentrations (Li, B, Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, Pb). The results are presented in figure 8B .

[0355] Finally, semi-quantitative analyses of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds were performed by SBSE-GC-TOF / MS: the results are presented in figure 8C To obtain this graph, each compound was analyzed semi-quantitatively (results are expressed as 3-octanol equivalent concentrations in µg / L). The analyzed molecules were grouped according to their characteristic aromatic profile, and their concentrations were added together. The concentration of each aromatic family was thus determined. Presenting the results as a decimal logarithm (log 10) highlights significant differences in concentration.

[0356] The various intermediate fractions, as well as the original wine and the dealcoholized wine obtained, were analyzed. As a reminder: The initial wine; this is a dry white wine, having an ABV of 11.3% vol., from a blend of base wines and intended for secondary fermentation, The retentate having an ABV of 21.7% vol., from step (a), The diafiltered retentate having an ABV of 4.2% vol., from diafiltration step (c), The permeate having an ABV of 9.2% vol., obtained at the end of step (a), The metabolized permeate having an ABV of 0% vol., from step (b), The filtered metabolized permeate having an ABV of 0% vol., and The dealcoholized wine having an ABV of 0.5% vol.

[0357] The results are presented in Tables 7 (sugars, organic acids, alcohol) and 8 (specific amino acids) below. The figures in parentheses indicate the proportion of the component relative to its measured quantity in the initial wine. figure 8Aillustrates the results in Table 7. Table 7 Matter Initial wine Retentat Diafiltered retentate Permeate Permeate metabolized Filtered metabolized permeate Wine 0-029 dealcoholized Density at 20°C g / cm³ 0,9889 1,0233 0,9859 1,0036 0,9979 1,0008 TAV % vol. (fraction) 11,3 (1,00) 21,7 (1,90) 4,2 (0,37) 9,2 (0,80) 0,0 (0,00) 0,0 (0,00) 0,5 (0,04) Glucose g / L (fraction) 0,173 (1,0) 0,822 (4,7) 0,857 (4,9) 0,009 (0,05) 0,000 (0,0) 0,000 (0,0) 0,147 (0,8) Fructose g / L (fraction) 0,437 (1,0) 2,615 (6,0) 2,939 (6,73) 0,008 (0,02) 0,000 (0,0) 0,000 (0,0) 0,359 (0,82) Glycerol g / L (fraction) 4,909 (1,0) 27,751 (5,7) 28,824 (5,9) 0,350 (0,1) 1,041 (0,2) 0,0061 (0,0) 3,540 (0,7) Lactic acid g / L (fraction) 2,820 (1,0) 15,956 5,7) 15,585 (5,5) 0.380 (0,1) 0,005 (0,0) 0,001 (0,0) 1,898 (0,7) Malic acid g / L (fraction) 0,007 (1,0) 0,133 (18,7) 0,041 (5,8) 0,000 (0,0) 1,434 (202,0) 0,000 (0,0) 0,006 (0,8) Tartaric acid g / L (fraction) 2,810 (1,0) 11,883 (4,2) 11,779 (4,2) 0,052 (0,02) 0,029 (0,0) 0,001 (0,0) 1,446 (0,5) Acetic acid g / L (fraction) 0,154 (1,0) 0,308 (2,0) 0,088 (0,6) 0,116 (0,8) 0,000 (0,0) 0,002 (0,0) 0,012 (0,1) Succinic acid eg / L (fraction) 0,280 (1,0) 1,696 (6,1) 1,689 (6,0) 0,032 (0,1) 11,526 (41,1) 0,035 (0,1) 0,218 (0,8) Citric acid g / L (fraction) 0,221 (1,0) 2,200 (10,0) 1,787 (8,1) 0,003 (0,01) 0,367 (1,7) 0,000 (0,0) 0,194 (0,9) Shikimi acid eg / L (fraction) 0,016 (1,0) 0,098 (6,2) 0,097 (6,2) 0,0003 (0,02) 0,002 (0,1) 0,000 (0,0) 0,013 (0,8) Isovaleric and pyruvic acids g / L (fraction) 0,019 (1,0) 0,083 (4,4) 0,022 (1,2) 0,000 (0,0) 0,111 (6,0) 0,000 (0,0) 0,035 (1,9) Total amino acids mg / L (fraction) 717 (1,0) ND* 906 (1,3) ND* 0 (0,0) 0 (0,0) 510 (0,7) * Not defined Table 8 Amino acid Initial wine Diafiltered retentate Metabolized permeate Filtered metabolized permeate Dealcoholized 0-029 wine Proline mg / L (fraction)* 170,12 (1,00) 208,8 (1,23) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 217,45 (1,28) Gamma-aminobutyric acid mg / L (fraction) 61,12 (1,00) 60,02 (0,98) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 35,06 (0,57) Asparagine mg / L (fraction) 32,39 (1,00) 48,97 (1,51) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 18,52 (0,57) Ornithine mg / L (fraction) 36,72 (1,00) 48,60 (1,32) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 20,83 (0,57) Alanine mg / L (fraction) 47,12 (1,00) 59,56 (1,26) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 26,18 (0,56) Glycine mg / L (fraction) 17,76 (1,00) 24,24 (1,36) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 10,03 (0,56) Lysine mg / L (fraction) 59,25 (1,00) 66,66 (1,13) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 32,54 (0,55) Glutamate mg / L (fraction) 46,92 (1,00) 58,01 (1,24) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 25,5 (0,54) Phenylalanine e mg / L (fraction) 27,33 (1,00) 44,23 (1,62) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 14,84 (0,54) Serine mg / L (fraction) 14,43 (1,00) 21,45 (1,49) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 7,76 (0,54) Arginine mg / L (fraction) 40,71 (1,00) 70,37 (1,73) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 21,76 (0,53) Leucine mg / L (fraction) 43,09 (1,00) 14,00 (0,32) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 23,03 (0,53) Valine mg / L (fraction) 14,37 (1,00) 21,24 (1,48) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 7,60 (0,53) Methionine mg / L (fraction) 6,33 (1,00) 10,22 (1,61) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 3,29 (0,52) Threonine mg / L (fraction) 11,42 (1,00) 17 (1,49) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 5,93 (0,52) Tyrosine mg / L (fraction) 21,07 (1,00) 31,94 (1,52) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 10,95 (0,52) Histidine mg / L (fraction) 13,31 (1,00) 22,17 (1,67) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 6,85 (0,51) Isoleucine mg / L (fraction) 9,01 (1,00) 32,84 (3,64) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 4,41 (0,49) Aspartate mg / L (fraction) 34,04 (1,00) 35,87 (1,05) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 15,38 (0,45) Citrulline mg / L (fraction) 5,75 (1,00) 7,61 (1,32) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 2,15 (0,37) Cysteine ​​mg / L (fraction) 0,86 (1,00) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) Tryptophan mg / L (fraction) 3,39 (1,00) 1,02 (0,30) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) Total 716,5 (1,00) 905,8 (1,26) 0,00 (0,00) 0,00 (0,00) 510,10 (0,71)

[0358] With regard to the compounds of interest, i.e. the compounds having an organoleptic impact, the reconstituted wine retained, compared to the initial wine, about 80% of the sugars, 70% of the glycerol and lactic acid, 80% of the malic acid but only 50% of the tartaric acid.

[0359] The dealcoholized wine also retained 80 to 90% of the fermentative organic acids (citric, succinic and shikimic acid), but only 10% of the acetic acid, which can be considered a small improvement in quality.

[0360] On the other hand, the concentration of isovaleric and pyruvic acids was increased twice in the dealcoholized wine, but this was not perceived as a defect when tasting the dealcoholized wine.

[0361] The reconstituted wine retained only 70% of the amino acids compared to the original wine (see Tables 7 and 8).

[0362] Regarding each amino acid (alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartate, glutamate, glutamine, glycine, histidine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, serine, threonine, tyrosine, valine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid), the quantity in the reconstituted wine decreased, except for proline, the amino acid with the highest concentration (170 mg / L) in the original wine, which was present at 128% of its original concentration in the reconstituted wine. Finally, the amino acids tryptophan (at 3.4 mg / L) and cysteine ​​(at 0.9 mg / L) were absent from the reconstituted wine, and isoleucine was retained at 49% of its concentration in the original wine.

[0363] Regarding compounds that are undesirable from an aromatic point of view, dealcoholized wine has lower concentrations than the original wine for the following compounds: The component ethyl acetate (solvent odor) has a concentration of 13.7 mg / L in the original wine, but is absent from the dealcoholized wine (0 mg / L); 2-Methyl-1-propanol (isobutanol, green aroma) is present at 13 mg / L in the original wine, but only at a concentration equal to 68% of this value (8.8 mg / L) in the dealcoholized wine; Ethyl lactate (milky aroma) is present at a concentration of 59.6 mg / L in the original wine, but only at a concentration equal to 31% of this value in the dealcoholized wine (18.7 mg / L).

[0364] With regard to mineral elements, the distributions of compounds in the original wine and in the reconstituted dealcoholized wine are very similar, as illustrated in figure 8B The respective proportion of each compound is maintained throughout the process, as illustrated in figure 8C The aromatic profile of dealcoholized wine is very close to, almost identical to, that of the original wine.

[0365] It is clear from the graph thus obtained that the respective proportion of each aromatic family is preserved during the dealcoholization process.

[0366] A blind tasting by a panel of experienced professional tasters made it possible to carry out a sensory analysis (the result of which is transcribed in free text to take into account the feelings of the tasters) of the initial wine and the dealcoholized wine once blended in order to compare them.

[0367] The results are presented in Table 9 below. Table 9 Initial wine Dealcoholized wine Comments CO2 free Pale golden yellow color Pale yellow color The color appears slightly altered (less bright, less golden) and the aroma seems a little less complex. Crisp white fruits (apple, green apple, pear) Crisp white fruits (apple, pear) Fresh, citrusy, tangy, lemony Fresh, citrusy, tangy, lemony With CO2 Pale golden yellow color Pale yellow color The same applies to the color. Crisp white fruits (apple, green apple, pear) Crisp white fruits (green apple), rhubarb The same applies to aromatic complexity. Freshness, citrus Freshness, citrus Empyreumatic notes (toast...) Empyreumatic notes (bread crust...) The effervescence enhances the perceptions in the mouth (bitterness, acidity). These characteristics are less complex in dealcoholized wine. Tangy, citrusy More intense bitterness Tangy, citrusy More complex acidity

[0368] This sensory analysis allows us to conclude that alcoholic or dealcoholized wines have a similar profile and that the proximity of their aromatic universes clearly demonstrates good preservation of the compounds of interest and especially of the aromatic compounds thanks to the process according to the invention. Example 10. Complete process for the total dealcoholization of a rosé wine and characterization of the initial rosé wine and the dealcoholized rosé wine obtained, using physicochemical parameters

[0369] All the fractions produced and used in this example (permeate, filtered permeate, retentate, diafiltered retentate...) come from a single batch of rosé wine but from several different cycles.

[0370] The values ​​shown in this example are approximations to one decimal place of the values ​​actually measured, except in the tables. • Step (a): Preparation of permeates and retentates ▪ Cycle 1

[0371] 136 kg of rosé wine at 10.9% vol. are subjected to the conditions of step (a) as described in example 1 and yield 119 kg of permeate at 8.6% vol. and 11.35 kg of retentate at 21.8% vol. ▪ Cycle 2

[0372] 136 kg of rosé wine at 11% vol. are subjected to the conditions of step (a) as described in example 1 and yield 119 kg of permeate at 8.5% vol. and 11.9 kg of retentate at 21.9% vol. • Step (a'): reduction of the TAV of permeates

[0373] 1.101 kg of the 7.82% vol. permeate (from step (a) cycle 1) were mixed with 0.28590 kg of a metabolized (TAV equal to 0% vol.) and filtered permeate from a prior dealcoholization cycle to adjust the alcohol content of the mixture to 6.25% vol. • Step (b): Removal of ethanol from the permeates

[0374] The ethanol metabolism of this permeate according to step (b3) is carried out under the conditions of example 6 using a strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae, marketed by IOC under the name IOC2007 ®< .

[0375] The pre-culture and culture of these yeasts according to steps (b1), (b2) and (b3) is carried out as described in examples 3 and 4.

[0376] 0.850 kg of metabolized permeate at 0% vol. were obtained. After filtration of this metabolized permeate, 0.830 kg of filtered metabolized permeate were obtained. • Step (c): diafiltration of retentates

[0377] The retentates from cycles 1 and 2 are mixed.

[0378] A series of diafiltrations of this retentate assembly is then carried out under the conditions of example 7 in order to reduce the TAV of the retentate to reach a TAV value of approximately 4% vol.

[0379] To do this, 17.35 kg of retentate obtained at the end of step (a) (cycles 1 and 2) are diafiltered with 69.4 kg of filtered metabolized permeate from a prior dealcoholization cycle, to obtain 14.35 kg of diafiltered retentate at 3.8% vol. and 69.4 kg of diafiltered metabolized permeate at 4.8% vol. • Step (d) association of 2 fractions from rosé wine

[0380] A dealcoholized wine with an ABV of approximately 0.5% vol. is obtained according to step (d) by reconstituting these two fractions by mixing their volumes to obtain the desired ABV, namely 0.025 kg of diafiltered retentate and 0.175 kg of metabolized permeate at 0% vol. After homogenization and filtration, 0.2 kg of dealcoholized wine at 0.5% vol. were obtained.

[0381] Chromatographic analyses (HPLC on a device marketed by Biorad) were carried out to determine the levels of sugars, organic acids and alcohols.

[0382] Semi-quantitative analyses of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds were carried out by SBSE-GC-TOF / MS.

[0383] ICP-MS analyses were carried out to determine the mineral element contents (Li, B, NA, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, Pb).

[0384] The original wine and the dealcoholized wine obtained were analyzed. As a reminder: The initial wine; it is a rosé wine, having an ABV of 10.9% vol., made from a blend of base wines and intended for secondary fermentation. The dealcoholized wine has an ABV of 0.5% vol.

[0385] The results are presented in Table 10 below and the figure 9A (sugars, organic acids, alcohol) as well as in the Figures 9B(average mineral content) and 9C (aromatic profiles). In the table below, the numbers in parentheses indicate the proportion of the component relative to its measured quantity in the initial wine. Table 10 (sugars, organic acids, alcohols) Matter Initial rosé wine Alcohol-free rosé wine ABV % vol. (Fraction) 10,9 (1) 0,55 (0,05) Citric acid g / L (Fraction) 0,45 (1) 0,1 (0,65) L-malic acid g / L (Fraction) 1,98 (1) 1,02 (0,51) Glucose g / L (Fraction) 0,28 (1) 0,21 (0,74) Fructose g / L (Fraction) 0,61 (1) 0,44 (0,72) Succinic acid g / L (Fraction) 1,44 (1) 0,94 (0,65) Shikimic acid g / L (Fraction) 0,02 (1) 0,02 (0,74) Fumaric acid g / L (Fraction) 0,00 (1) 0,00 (0,6) Lactic acid g / L (Fraction) 1,98 (1) 1,22 (0,62) Glycerol g / L (Fraction) 5,08 (1) 3,47 (0,68) Acetic acid g / L (Fraction) 0,16 (1) 0,04 (0,26) Propanoic acid g / L (Fraction) 0,07 (1) 0,05 (0,72) Ethanol g / L (Fraction) 85,89 (1) 4,32 (0,05)

[0386] With regard to the compounds of interest, i.e. the compounds having an organoleptic impact, the reconstituted wine retained, compared to the initial wine, about 73% of the sugars, 68% of the glycerol and 62% of the lactic acid, and 51% of the malic acid.

[0387] The dealcoholized wine also retained 70% of the fermentative organic acids (citric, succinic and shikimic acid), but only 26% of the acetic acid, which can be considered an improvement in quality.

[0388] Regarding mineral elements, ( Fig. 9B The distributions of compounds in the original wine and in the reconstituted dealcoholized wine are very similar. The respective proportion of each compound is maintained throughout the process, even though the average mineral content of the reconstituted dealcoholized wine is lower (71%) than that of the original wine.

[0389] There figure 9C This represents, for the two fractions analyzed (original rosé wine and dealcoholized rosé wine), the distribution of aromatic contributions relative to the total of each fraction. The profile of the dealcoholized wine is very close (almost identical) to that of the original wine. The respective proportion of each aromatic family is maintained throughout the process. Example 11. Complete process for the total dealcoholization of a red wine obtained by maceration

[0390] All the fractions produced and used in this example (permeate, filtered permeate, retentate, diafiltered retentate, ...) come from a single batch of wine but from several different cycles.

[0391] A red wine made using maceration is a wine produced using a winemaking process that, after crushing the black grapes, involves leaving the must in contact with the solid parts of the grapes (skins, pulp, and seeds) during maceration in order to extract the color, tannins, and aromas contained in these solid elements. Alcoholic fermentation, through the increase in ethanol content and temperature, facilitates this extraction. • Step (a): Preparation of permeates and retentates ▪ Cycle 1

[0392] 136 kg of macerated red wine at 11.7% vol. are subjected to the conditions of step (a) as described in example 1 and yield 119 kg of permeate at 10.2% vol. and 12.7 kg of retentate at 20.3% vol. ▪ Cycle 2

[0393] 117.3 kg of macerated red wine at 11.9% vol. are subjected to the conditions of step (a) as described in example 1 and yield 102.6 kg of permeate at 9.9% vol. and 10.5 kg of retentate at 21.8% vol. • Step (a'): reduction in the TAV of the permeate

[0394] 0.77620 kg of the 11.05% vol. permeate (from step (a) cycle 1) were mixed with 0.61050 kg of a metabolized (TAV equal to 0% vol.) and filtered permeate from a prior dealcoholization cycle to adjust the alcohol content of the mixture to 6.22% vol. • Step (b): Removal of ethanol from the permeates

[0395] The ethanol metabolism of this permeate according to step (b3) is carried out under the conditions of example 6 using a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, marketed by IOC under the name IOC18-2007 ®< .

[0396] The pre-culture and culture of these yeasts according to steps (b1), (b2) and (b3) is carried out as described in examples 3 and 4.

[0397] 0.8 kg of metabolized permeate at 0% vol. were obtained. After filtration of this metabolized permeate, 0.780 kg of filtered metabolized permeate were obtained. • Step (c): Diafiltration of retentates

[0398] The retentates from cycles 1 and 2 are mixed.

[0399] A series of diafiltrations of this retentate assembly is then carried out under the conditions of example 7 in order to reduce the TAV of the retentate to reach a TAV value of approximately 4% vol.

[0400] To do this, 15.55 kg of retentate obtained at the end of step (a) (cycles 1 and 2) are diafiltered with 62.2 kg of filtered metabolized permeate from a prior dealcoholization cycle, to obtain 12.65 kg of diafiltered retentate at 3.3% vol. and 62.2 kg of diafiltered metabolized permeate at 3.8% vol. Example 12. Complete process for the total dealcoholization of a red wine obtained by thermovinification

[0401] A red wine made using thermovinification is a wine produced through a winemaking process that involves rapidly heating crushed black grapes (to 60-80°C) for a few minutes, then conducting a hot maceration for a few hours (1-2 hours), before cooling the must and separating the solids from the liquid (by pressing, filtration, decantation, etc.) and carrying out the winemaking process in the liquid phase. The goal is to extract color, tannins, and aromas from the grapes very quickly. • Step (a): Preparation of the permeate and retentate

[0402] 136 kg of thermovinification red wine at 11% vol. are subjected to the conditions of step (a) as described in example 1 and yield 119 kg of permeate at 8.5% vol. and 11.35 kg of retentate at 19% vol. • Step (a'): reduction of the TAV of permeates

[0403] 0.880 kg of the 10.1% vol. permeate (from step (a) cycle 1) were mixed with 0.53740 kg of a metabolized (TAV equal to 0% vol.) and filtered permeate from a prior dealcoholization cycle to adjust the alcohol content of the mixture to 6.21% vol. • Step (b): Removal of ethanol from the permeates

[0404] The ethanol metabolism of this permeate according to step (b3) is carried out under the conditions of example 6 using a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, marketed by IOC under the name IOC18-2007 ®< .

[0405] The pre-culture and culture of these yeasts according to steps (b1), (b2) and (b3) is carried out as described in examples 3 and 4.

[0406] 0.8 kg of metabolized permeate at 0% vol. were obtained. After filtration of this metabolized permeate, 0.78 kg of filtered metabolized permeate were obtained. Example 13. Physical separation by reverse osmosis of a sweet white wine (40 g / l of sugars) into two fractions, permeate 1 and retentate 1 (step a)

[0407] The reverse osmosis equipment essentially consists of a high-pressure pump capable of delivering up to 60 bar and a 2.5-inch diameter reverse osmosis membrane (Reference: Alfa Laval RO98pHt). 26 m² of membrane were installed.

[0408] A diagram of the equipment is shown in [ Fig.3 ].

[0409] The wine used in this example is a sweet white wine, containing 40 g / L of residual sugars, with an ABV value of 11.5% vol.

[0410] 132 kg of wine are introduced into the feed tank (1), which has been previously inerted. The tank is then hermetically sealed, and a tank head containing less than 2% O2 is maintained by successive additions of nitrogen via the pressure regulator (3).

[0411] The feed unit is then hydraulically connected to the Reverse Osmosis (RO) unit (middle rectangle), and the wine is pumped to the RO equipment by the feed unit's centrifugal pump (10). The RO unit's positive pressure pump (15) is then activated to circulate the wine near the membrane (16). The portion of wine exiting the RO unit returns to the feed tank via the strainer (12), the mass flow meter (11), and the plate heat exchanger (7). The strainer (12) retains scale crystals that form due to concentration. The mass flow meter (11) measures both the flow rate and the density, thus monitoring the concentration throughout the process. The heat exchanger (7) dissipates the energy supplied by the positive pressure pump (15), thereby regulating the temperature of the retentate loop to approximately 15°C.The pressure is obtained by progressively closing the pressure valve (17), typically until a pressure of approximately 50 bar is obtained at the inlet of the membrane.

[0412] In this example, the separation is carried out at approximately 50 bar of pressure maintained continuously on the retentate side. The operation is continued until a FCV (Volume Concentration Factor) of k = 3.4 is reached.

[0413] The flow rate (L / h / m²) applied to the membrane decreases as the permeate flows. The mass of ethanol passing into the permeate is measured instantaneously over time using a hydrometer. The ethanol / permeate concentration (% vol.) is calculated from the mass percentage of ethanol, taking into account the density of ethanol (789 g / L), i.e., by dividing the mass percentage of ethanol by 0.789.

[0414] Table 11 below presents the measurements obtained during a test with an ALFA LAVAL RO98pHt membrane used in a reverse osmosis process applied to a sweet white wine. Table 11. Physical separation of a sweet white wine by reverse osmosis Time (min) Permeate (kg) Title Ethanol permeate (% v / v) Title Ethanol permeate (% v / v) FCV (k) Flow rate (L / h / m²) 0 15 1,8 5,1 4,0 1,01 2,3 60 8,6 5,8 4,6 1,07 1,1 120 16,8 6,3 5,0 1,14 1,0 160 21,6 6,6 5,2 1,19 0,9 240 30,2 7,0 5,6 1,29 0,8 300 36 7,5 5,9 1,36 0,7 330 38,6 7,7 6,1 1,40 0,7 360 41,2 7,9 6,2 1,43 0,7 405 44,8 8,2 6,5 1,49 0,6 450 48,2 8,5 6,7 1,55 0,6 485 51 8,7 6,9 1,60 0,6 510 52,6 9,0 7,1 1,63 0,5 570 56,2 9,3 7,3 1,70 0,5 645 60,4 9,8 7,7 1,80 0,4 690 62,6 9,9 7,8 1,85 0,4 780 66,8 10,5 8,3 1,97 0,4 840 68,4 10,8 8,6 2,01 0,2 910 71,2 11,2 8,8 2,10 0,3 973 74,6 11,5 9,0 2,21 0,4 1030 76,2 11,4 9,0 2,27 0,2 1110 78,8 11,9 9,4 2,38 0,2 1200 81,4 12,3 9,7 2,49 0,2 1295 83,8 12,7 10,1 2,61 0,2 1350 85,2 12,9 10,2 2,68 0,2 1410 86,6 13,2 10,4 2,75 0,2 1482 88,2 13,3 10,5 2,85 0,2 1540 89,2 12,4 9,8 2,91 0,1 1602 90,4 12,9 10,2 2,98 0,1 1662 91,4 13,2 10,4 3,05 0,1 1702 92 13,4 10,6 3,09 0,1 1842 94 13,6 10,8 3,24 0,1 1922 95 13,4 10,5 3,32 0,1 1977 95,8 13,6 10,7 3,38 0,1

[0415] This yields 36 kg of retentate and 96 kg of permeate.

[0416] The TAV of the permeate is measured instantaneously during its flow, and therefore does not reflect the final TAV of the homogenized permeate, which is 10% vol. However, it is observed that the TAV of the flowing permeate increases over time. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

[0417] FR2852493A1 FR2887258B1 US 2016 / 348192A1 WO 2015 / 114115 US 5,266,337 EP3550007 WO 2011 / 088809 WO 90 / 01537 Morales P, Rojas V, Quirós M, Gonzalez R. The impact of oxygen on the final alcohol content of wine fermented by a mixed starter culture. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2015 May;99(9):3993-4003. doi: 10.1007 / s00253-014-6321-3. Gary J. Pickering (2000) Low- and Reduced-alcohol Wine: A Review. Journal of Wine Research, 11, 129-144. Varela, C., Dry, P., Kutyna, D., Francis, I., Henschke, P., Curtin, C. and Chambers, P. (2015), Reducing alcohol concentration in wine. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 21, 670-679. Thomas Ochando, Jean-Roch Mouret, Anne Humbert-Goffard, Jean-Marie Sablayrolles, Vincent Farines (2017). Impact of initial lipid content and oxygen supply on alcoholic fermentation in champagne-like musts. Food Research International, 98, 87-94. Barnett, J. A., Payne, R. W., & Yarrow, D. (1990). Yeast identification program, version 2.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Buchanan RE, Gibbono NE (1974) Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins. Bärwald, G. et Fischer, A. (1996) Crabtree effect in aerobic fermentations using grape juice for the production of alcohol reduced wine. Biotechnology Letters 18, 1187-1192. Box CEP, Hunter WG, Hunter JS (1978) Statistics for Experimenters. New York: Wiley, 6, 33-34. Ishmayana, S., Kennedy, U. J., & Learmonth, R. P. (2015). Preliminary evidence of inositol supplementation effect on cell growth, viability and plasma membrane fluidity of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Procedia Chemistry, 17, 162-169. Ishmayana, S., Kennedy, U. J., & Learmonth, R. P. (2020) The effect of varying inositol supplementation on Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown in chemically defined media. Octa J. Bioscience. Vol 8,98-105. Rodrigues, A.J.,Raimbourg, T., Gonzalez, R. et Morales, P.(2016) Environmental factors influencing the efficacy of different yeast strains for alcohol level reduction in wine by respiration. LWT - Food Science and Technology, 65,1038-1043.

Claims

1. A process for dealcoholisation of a volume V1 of a wine having a percentage of alcohol by volume (ABV) of value ABV(1), comprising implementation of the following steps: a) separating the volume V1 of the wine into two fractions using a membrane separation process: - one fraction concentrated by a factor k referred to as "retentate", the volume of this fraction being equal to 1 / k V1, this fraction having a value ABV(R); - one fraction referred to as "permeate" comprising predominantly water and ethanol, the volume of this fraction being equal to (k-1) / k V1, this fraction having a value ABV(P); b) removing the ethanol from the permeate by yeasts added to said permeate, said yeasts being in respiratory state in order to metabolise the ethanol, the resulting fraction being referred to as "metabolised permeate" having a value ABV(P metabolised) less than ABV(P); c) optionally, diafiltrating the retentate with the metabolised permeate, in order to obtain: - a "diafiltered retentate" having a value ABV(R diafiltered) less than ABV(R), and - a "diafiltered metabolised permeate" having an ABV value greater than ABV(P metabolised), said diafiltered metabolised permeate then being optionally subjected again to step (b); d) combining a volume of retentate or of diafiltered retentate and a volume of metabolised permeate, in order to obtain a volume V2 of dealcoholised wine, having a value ABV(2) less than ABV(1).

2. The process according to claim 1, characterised in that the concentration factor k is between 0.1 and 20, preferably between 2 and 10, more preferably between 5 and 10.

3. The process according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that step (a) is carried out by reverse osmosis or by nanofiltration, preferably by reverse osmosis.

4. The process according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that step (a) is carried out by reverse osmosis with a membrane having a rejection rate for salts greater than 0.9, preferably greater than 0.95.

5. The process according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that step (a) is carried out at a temperature between 15°C and 25°C.

6. The process according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that step (a) is carried under an atmosphere mainly composed of inert gas comprising less than 1% molecular oxygen.

7. The process according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the permeate is subjected to at least one step (a') of reducing its ABV(P), carried out by evaporation, distillation, dilution or membrane contractor.

8. The process according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that step (b) comprises three substeps: b1) pre-culturing of at least 106 yeasts per millilitre, in a growth medium comprising a source of sugar at a concentration between 40 and 120 g / kg, under aerobic conditions, b2) culturing at least 106 yeasts resulting from step (b1) per millilitre, in a growth medium comprising a source of sugar at a concentration between 40 and 120 g / kg, under aerobic conditions, the volume of culture being identical to the volume of permeate to be treated in the following substep, b3) adding at least 2.108 yeasts per millilitre to the permeate to be treated, and metabolisation of the ethanol by the yeasts under aerobic conditions.

9. The process according to claim 8, characterised in that step (b3) of metabolisation of the ethanol by yeasts in respiratory state is carried out under a flow of molecular oxygen between 0.001 and 0.010 volume per volume per minute (vvm), preferably between 0.002 and 0.008 vvm.

10. The process according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the yeasts added to the permeate in step (b) are of the genus Saccharomyces, preferably of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

11. A process for partial dealcoholisation of a volume V1 of wine according to one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the implementation of the following steps: a) separating the volume V1 of the wine into two fractions using a membrane separation process: - one fraction concentrated by a factor k referred to as "retentate", the volume of this fraction being equal to 1 / k V1, this fraction having a value ABV(R); - one fraction referred to as "permeate" comprising predominantly water and ethanol, the volume of this fraction being equal to (k-1) / k V1, this fraction having a value ABV(P); b) removing the ethanol from the permeate by yeasts added to said permeate, said yeasts being in the respiratory state in order to metabolise the ethanol, the resulting fraction referred to as "metabolised permeate" having a value ABV(P metabolised) less than ABV(P); and d) combining a volume of retentate and a volume of metabolised permeate, in order to obtain a volume V2 of dealcoholised wine having a value ABV(2) less than ABV(1).

12. A process for total dealcoholisation of a volume V1 of wine according to one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the implementation of the following steps: a) separating the volume V1 of the wine into two fractions using a membrane separation process: - one fraction concentrated by a factor k referred to as "retentate", the volume of this fraction being equal to 1 / k V1, this fraction having a value ABV(R); - one fraction referred to as "permeate" comprising predominantly water and ethanol, the volume of this fraction being equal to (k-1) / k V1, this fraction having a value ABV(P); b) removing the ethanol from the permeate by yeasts added to said permeate, said yeasts being in respiratory state in order to metabolise the ethanol, the resulting fraction being referred to as "metabolised permeate" having a value ABV(P metabolised) less than ABV(P); c) diafiltrating the retentate with the metabolised permeate having an ABV value equal to 0 vol.%, in order to obtain: - a "diafiltered retentate" having a value ABV(R diafiltered) less than ABV(R), and - a "diafiltered metabolised permeate" having an ABV value greater than ABV(P metabolised), said diafiltered metabolised permeate then being subjected again to step (b) until obtaining an ABV value less than or equal to 0.5 vol.%, preferably equal to 0 vol.% ; d) combining a volume of diafiltered retentate, and a volume of metabolised permeate having an ABV value less than or equal to 0.5 vol.%, preferably equal to 0 vol.%, in order to obtain a volume V2 of dealcoholised wine having a value ABV(2) less than or equal to 0.5 vol.%.

13. The process according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that step (d) of combining the two fractions constituting the volume V2 of dealcoholised wine is carried out according to the following proportions: - the volume of the metabolised permeate is equal to (k-1) / k V2; and - the volume of the retentate or diafiltered retentate is equal to 1 / k V2.

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