Consumers are increasingly demanding healthier alcohol products, as awareness rises about liquor's negative effects, University of Newcastle senior lecturer Tamara Bucher says.
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Dr Bucher has published a new paper, titled Production and Marketing of Low-Alcohol Wine.
She says low-alcohol wine is "an interesting product idea".
"You can get the benefits and reduce the negative side effects," Dr Bucher said.
If people replaced regular wine with lower alcohol wine, they would "reduce their kilojoule intake and, in the long-term, their cancer risk".
Lower alcohol products are a hot topic.
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"In Europe, alcohol-free beers are very popular. Alcohol-reduced wine and alcohol-free wine can now be found in shops," she said.
"Interestingly, some of these wine products are produced by Hunter Valley wineries and exported to Europe and the UK."
She believes the trend will soon spread to Australia.
"Australia might become a leading producer," she said.
She said wine naturally contains many healthy components such as polyphenols and antioxidants.
"The polyphenol resveratrol has gained a lot of attention for its anti-aging and disease-fighting properties.
"We know moderate wine consumption is associated with better health and reduced mortality from all causes."
But wine also contains the "toxic drug" alcohol.
"Regular alcohol consumption can lead to addiction and anti-social behaviour. It can increase the risk of various cancers, including breast cancer," she said.
The health implications of drinking alcohol depend on the amount consumed.
"Moderate wine consumers have reduced risks for heart disease. In general, we find that moderate wine consumers have healthier lifestyles overall," she said.
She added that wine was often consumed with meals in a social context.
"Some health effects are attributed to the polyphenol content of wine.
"But too much alcohol has many negative side effects."
When drinking normal-strength wine, the safe limits for driving were exceeded quickly.
"One glass of red wine in the restaurant contains 1.5 to two standard drinks. As a woman, I'd be over the driving limit with one normal-strength wine."
Part of Dr Bucher's aim is to help create healthier food and drink options.
"The goal is to contribute to making foods and beverages that have better nutrient profiles, are convenient and taste great," she said.
Dr Bucher's paper said increased awareness about dietary-related diseases may lead consumers to perceive low-alcohol drinks as a healthier alternative.
Research showed some people were motivated to drink low-alcohol beverages for calorie and weight management.
Some consider low-alcohol beverages an alternative to standard-strength drinks.
This was despite a "snobbish attitude" among some wine consumers and producers, which could contribute to a lack of acceptance of low-alcohol wine.
Links have been drawn between the wellness trend and wider concern about the risks of excessive alcohol consumption.
As such, some people choose drinks considered to be healthier, including wine. This led people to drink less, but better quality, alcohol.
"Current consumer groups choose high-quality, unique and authentic brands and flavours," the paper said.
Taste was one of the most important factors in decisions about wine consumption.
"It is now possible to reduce the alcohol content of wine, while preserving the pleasant sensory properties," the paper said.
Dr Bucher's paper noted that the World Health Organisation [WHO] recommends consuming a maximum of two standard drinks a day, with at least two days a week alcohol-free.
It warns against having more than four drinks in a single session.
In a recent review, the WHO found alcohol to be the seventh leading risk factor for premature death in 2016, contributing to 2.8 million deaths worldwide.
This led to the conclusion that no amount of alcohol was safe. Reducing the alcoholic strength was proposed as one strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.
This followed the World Cancer Research Fund reporting that a decrease in alcohol content from 14.2 per cent to 10 per cent would reduce the risk of breast and bowel cancer by 7 per cent.
