Cognato – meaning “closely related to”

Cousins Adam Malmnäs and David Sommestad aimed to produce an alcohol-free wine that they, as wine enthusiasts, would be delighted to savor alongside a fine meal. Both David and Adam are parents to young children, and often found themselves driving to various activities on weekends, making it impossible to enjoy a glass of wine during lunch or dinner. Therefore, they needed a suitable alternative. While there were already some alcohol-free wines available in the market, Adam and David felt they often fell short, being overly sweet, lacking refinement, and packaged in a manner that appeared cheap—a far cry from what one would desire on their dinner table. Most importantly, the taste simply didn’t meet their expectations.

After extensive research, they discovered the perfect production partners in South Africa and embarked on creating the inaugural vintage of Cognato in 2019. They sought to create an alcohol-free wine that closely resembled a wine with alcohol while maintaining low sugar levels.

Produced in the scenic Coastal Region of the Western Cape, South Africa, Cognato wines are crafted from grapes grown in low yielding vineyards. This ensures a high concentration of flavor, resulting in full-bodied wines. Starting with quality grapes, Cognato utilizes a vacuum spinning cone process to delicately remove alcohol without compromising the wine’s integrity. The result is a flavorful and aromatic non-alcoholic wine. Committed to sustainability and fair practices, Cognato is proud to be Fairtrade certified. This certification reflects their adherence to stringent social, economic, and environmental standards throughout the supply chain.