Paumanok Vineyards has released its first no-alcohol wine label, right in time for Dry January. For those who have — or plan to continue to — take a step back from vino, spirits and beer all year long, De Nada, which hit shelves this month, offers a trio of screw cap-topped, de-alcoholized wines, filling up the thirsty demand for beverages without the booze.
“It’s not news that the fastest growing segment in wine is low-alcohol and no-alcohol. That’s been true for a couple of years now,” says Paumanok and Palmer winemaker Kareem Massoud. He started talking about dipping a toe into the category the with his dad, Charles, a few years back but spearheaded it in earnest about a year ago. They are the second Long Island winery to launch a de-alcoholized wine (Wölffer in Sagaponack on the South Fork was the first with Spring in a Bottle).
“The name is almost a triple entendre,” says Massoud. Literally translated, de nada can have two meanings: “of nothing” and “you’re welcome,” which seemed like the perfect name for the label that is launching the family business into the non-alcoholic sector.

“It’s non-alcoholic, so it’s a reference to the absence of the alcohol,” says Massoud. “And then, of course, it means you’re welcome.” For that part, Massoud credits the response to creating an affordable, well-made product offering an alternative to alcoholic beverages. “We’ve already had some people saying, ‘This is great! We’ve been waiting for this!’ So, you’re welcome!” he laughs.
And the third part is a nod to where the wine is made: Chile.
For De Nada’s creation, Massoud partnered with 25-year veteran of the Long Island wine industry and native of Chile, Juan Esteban. Esteban is the former winemaker for Laurel Lake Vineyards, and also oversaw the transition from Laurel Lake after it was purchased by media mogul Dan Abrams in 2021 and renamed Ev & Em Vineyards. Esteban moved back to his home country, where his family owned vineyards and a winery in the Maule Valley, where Massoud spent time years ago participating in a harvest back in 2002.
“It was my first time in South America, and I arrived in Chile and Juan Esteban is the one who picked me up at the airport, and I spent three weeks with him and his family before I started work,” recalls Massoud. “It was like I was some long lost cousin or something. They were so hospitable, and they basically took me in as practically as a part of their family. It was amazing.”
The two winemakers had always wanted to collaborate on a project, so when the idea of crafting a de-alcoholized wine moved to the forefront, Massoud reached out to his friend and colleague in Chile to see if it was something that could be done there.
“People ask, well, how do you make a wine without alcohol? How do you do it? And the answer is you make wine, and then you remove the alcohol,” says Massoud. “So, that gets you to the obvious: It tastes a lot like wine, but it’s missing the alcohol.”
Alcohol, of course, does more than just give you a heady little buzz when you consume it. It acts as a preservative in a beverage, extending its life (that’s why an open bottle of high-proof spirits on your bar hangs on indefinitely), and also adds something else you might notice that’s missing when you sip any de-alcoholized wine: body.
It’s why sparkling wines without alcohol tend to be very popular; the bubbly texture adds to the feel of it in your mouth something that the lack of alcohol has stripped away. Still, the act of making a de-alcoholized wine as opposed to a non-alcoholic wine is preferable and, definitely, tastier. In the former scenario, an actual wine — not just crushed grape juice — is made from the get-go, so you’re left with the taste of the thing you liked in the first place.
There was more collaboration on the project, too. Massoud’s wife, Karen, drew the cool retro label, and Massoud’s cousin, Steven Baust, a graphic designer, honed the final look.
“We’re going to start trying to sell it to grocery stores, supermarkets and farm stands,” says Massoud.
De Nada is vegan and gluten-free, and being offered as a sauvignon blanc-based white, a rosé blend of merlot and sauvignon blanc, and a red that’s 100% cabernet sauvignon. Bottles are $18 each, but for the entire month of January, Massoud is offering a 50% discount online at their web store and at both Paumanok (1074 Main Road, Aquebogue, 631-722-8800) and Palmer (5120 Sound Ave., Riverhead, 631-722-9463) tasting rooms. As the wine isn’t an alcoholic product, it gets to skip all the state-by-state alcohol laws and can be shipped anywhere.