David Hodgson and Will Willis, co-founders of alcohol-free wine company Zeno, are the first to enter the Dragons’ Den tonight.
Veterans of the wine trade, they launched Zeno in 2022 to improve on the market incumbents which tasted more like juice.
David – who had gone alcohol-free for health reasons – and Will joined forces with their partner winery in Spain and a team of experts, including a Master of Wine, to develop their techniques: gentle removal of alcohol using low temperature, high vacuum distillation, followed by skilful blending.
Zeno has five ‘prestige, alcohol-liberated’ wines in its portfolio: viura, a crisp and fruity Spanish white wine; bobal, a rosé; a tempranillo cabernet red; a sparkling white; and a sparkling rosé.
The partner vineyard is described as organic, while the wines are said to be low in sugar.
Will the Dragons find them tasty enough to invest in?
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Zeno’s pitch in the Den will be followed by Tolu Farinto, founder of music and events company Limitless Live; Cameron Clarke, co-founder of darts retailer ArrowHeadz; and Abilasha Bhohi, founder of dairy-free ice cream brand Moonji.
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