INTERVIEW-Say cheers with halal-certified German wine Dinar
Guests celebrating a special occasion at the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski in Munich can now clink glasses of unique high-quality halal-certified bubbly.
The halal-certified sparkling beverage Dinar, named after the centuries-old gold coin in the Islamic world, was introduced this past fall at the luxury hotel, where many Arab guests holiday in summer to escape the heat of their Gulf region homes.
“Before Dinar, Arab guests consumed Coca-Cola, Sprite and other soft drinks, which generated no major turnover for the hotel and provided no alternative for weddings and other special events,” said Alexander Ludwig Berg, GM of Vigorous Trading, the Munich-based food and beverage supplier that created Dinar for Kempinski. “This product generates higher revenues for the hotel and highlights its luxury and individuality.”
Though other alcohol-free and halal-certified sparkling wines exist, Berg said Dinar sets itself apart by adding natural flavors traditionally enjoyed in the Middle East.
“We worked with a long-established and experienced vintner from the Rheingau wine region in Germany to develop our recipes over two years,” Berg said.
He explained that the Dinar range of drinks starts with a quality German Riesling that undergoes a patented multistep dealcoholization process to bring its alcohol by volume (ABV) level down to less than 0.01 per cent, a trace amount found even in fruit juices and sodas. Alcoholic wines have an average 13.5 percent ABV.
“Because the basis of our drinks is high-end wine, they retain the characteristics of a sparkling wine, including the acid, obtained residual sugar and natural carbon dioxide,” Berg said. “However, eliminating the alcohol as the biggest flavor carrier requires compensation for this loss. With our Date Sparkling, we add the natural flavor of sun-ripened dates; with Pomegranate Sparkling, pomegranate juice concentrate, which contains antioxidants and has a detoxifying and rejuvenating effect.”
The company consulted with a halal certifier (the product is certified by Islamic Halal Certification Centre e.V. in Munich, Germany) and an Islamic cleric from the start of its recipe-formulation process, to ensure that the final product would comply with halal guidelines. In addition to being completely alcohol-free, a halal-certified wine must be made on a separate production track from any alcoholic beverages.
It must also be free of hidden haram ingredients, such as the red colorant Carmine E120, which is made from the dried bodies of a bug called the cochineal scale that was used in Campari until the mid-2000s. (There is some debate on the matter as many Muslims believe the use of dyes made from insects to be forbidden.)
Vigorous Trading is aiming high with its Dinar products, hoping not only to sell them to luxury hotels, high-end restaurants and catering companies with a significant Muslim clientele but also to become a sponsor and partner of the Expo 2020 Dubai and the 2022 World Cup Qatar.
Berg also thinks there is a market among non-Muslims in Europe who are looking for healthier beverage alternatives, or at business meetings where companies would prefer not to serve alcohol.
“We are confident that the time has come for Muslims and non-Muslims to be able to celebrate their special moments together,” Berg said. “Dinar gives Muslims all over the world an ability to celebrate life while still following Islamic rules.”
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