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Biotech for low-alcohol wines

The wine of the future is born from nature.

A proprietary collection of non-Saccharomyces yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, selected from the microbial biodiversity of Italian vineyards. Ferveo works where it all begins — fermentation — to produce reduced-alcohol wines that keep their character intact. No physical intervention, no subtraction: just the science of microorganisms in service of taste.

Information
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  • Sustainable biotech
  • Sensory innovation
  • Research & Development
  • First share tokenization in Italy
  • Mindful drinking
  • Innovative startup
  • Made in Italy
  • Benefit corporation
The challenge

A growing market without a worthy answer.

One consumer in two across the main global markets says they have cut back on alcohol over the last five years. Demand for lower-alcohol wines is growing at double-digit rates. Yet supply is lagging behind: almost all NoLo wines available today are the result of industrial processes applied to wine that has already been fermented — reverse osmosis, vacuum distillation, gas stripping — which lower the alcohol but irreversibly alter the product’s aromatic structure.

Don’t alter wine. Improve it. With no sensory compromise.
Technology

Biotech in service of taste.

Ferveo’s innovation doesn’t act on the wine: it works on the biology that creates it. We characterise natural strains of non-Saccharomyces yeasts and lactic acid bacteria isolated from Italian grapes and musts — microorganisms that naturally produce less alcohol during fermentation and preserve the aromatic compounds that define a wine. Winemaking stays what it has always been: the innovation lies in the microbial heritage, not in the machinery.

Strain selection

A proprietary collection of non-Saccharomyces yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, isolated and characterised from Italian wine-growing areas. Advanced microbiology in partnership with Sapienza University of Rome.

Winemaking protocols

Development of biotech protocols that naturally reduce alcohol content during fermentation while keeping the wine’s organoleptic structure intact — without reverse osmosis, distillation or any physical intervention on the finished product.

Technology transfer

Industrial scalability. Partner wineries will be able to adopt Ferveo’s technology through selected microbial starters and dedicated consulting, without redesigning their production lines.

Active research
Strain selection and characterisation at the Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome.
B2B applications
Microbial starters for the food sector and beyond.
Scientific partner
Prof. Carlo Giuseppe Rizzello, Full Professor of Agricultural Microbiology, Sapienza University of Rome. Over 20 years of published research on lactic acid bacteria and yeasts applied to food supply chains.
Market & opportunity

A global wave. A unique opportunity.

$3.3 bn Estimated global NoLo market by 2028
+8% Segment CAGR (UIV-IWSR, 2024-2028)
+90% Expected growth of dealcoholised wine production in Italy in 2026
5 International target markets (USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Middle East)

No- and low-alcohol wine is not a passing niche: it is the answer to four converging transformations. Consumers are changing, science is changing, regulations are changing, the climate is changing. Ferveo sits at the intersection of all four, with a proprietary technology in development and a go-to-market plan scheduled for 2029. Italy, the world’s leading wine producer, opened up to the production of dealcoholised wines on 1 January 2025.

  1. Mindful drinking

    Half of consumers worldwide have reduced their alcohol intake over the last five years. Among US and UK Gen Z, alcohol-free sparkling wines already outperform beer on some drinking occasions.

  2. Scientific evidence

    Awareness of alcohol’s impact on health is the leading driver of choice: over 30% of NoLo consumers explicitly cite health, ahead of driving and curiosity.

  3. New EU regulations

    Ingredient transparency, nutrition information on wine labels, EU recognition of dealcoholised wines: the regulatory framework is enabling a new segment.

  4. Climate change

    Grapes are ripening with ever higher sugar levels. Bordeaux wines that were 12.5% ABV fifty years ago now exceed 14%. Lighter wines are not just a choice: they are a technical necessity.

Roadmap

From an idea to a global market.

  1. Ferveo SpA Società Benefit is incorporated

    R&D agreement signed with the Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome (Prof. Carlo Giuseppe Rizzello).

  2. R&D activities begin

    Selection and characterisation of non-Saccharomyces yeast and lactic acid bacteria strains begins in the UniSapienza laboratories, starting from samples collected in Italian wine-growing areas.

  3. First share tokenization in Italy

    Ferveo becomes the first Italian company to bring the tokenization of its shares into production on DLT, through Fleap SpA, under the Italian Fintech Decree. Covered by 10 national and trade outlets.

  4. 2026 – 2028

    R&D plan and scale-up

    Completion of the research plan with Sapienza. Optimisation of the winemaking protocols from laboratory to pilot scale, up to industrial scale. Selection of the first partner wineries.

  5. Q4 2028

    Pilot production

    First industrial trials of Ferveo protocols at selected partner wineries.

  6. Q1 2029

    Commercial launch and go-to-market

    Full commercial launch and technology transfer to partner wineries. International expansion into the five most dynamic NoLo markets: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Middle East.

Status and Governance.

Innovative startup

Registered in the special section of the Companies Register established by the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. A dedicated regulatory framework for high-tech companies, with tax incentives and simplified access to alternative finance.

Benefit corporation

Incorporated in July 2025 as a Società Benefit (Italian Law 208/2015). Our commitment to environmental and social impact goals is written into our purpose, not into a brochure.

First share tokenization in Italy

January 2026: Ferveo became the first Italian company to bring the tokenization of its shares into production on Distributed Ledger Technology, through Fleap SpA — operator of the Consob-authorised register under the Italian Fintech Decree (Decree-Law 25/2023). Legal aspects handled by LX20 Law Firm.

Team

The people behind the innovation.

Ferveo was born where academic research, entrepreneurial vision and a broad shareholder base meet. 23 founding shareholders, an agreement with Sapienza, a law firm of reference for fintech law. These are the people behind it all.

Portrait of Domenico Centrone

Domenico Centrone

Chairman of the Board
Co-founder ↗ LinkedIn
Portrait of Prof. Carlo Giuseppe Rizzello
Scientific partner

Prof. Carlo Giuseppe Rizzello

↗ LinkedIn

Full Professor of Agricultural Microbiology, Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome. Scientific lead of the R&D agreement with Ferveo.

Press · 10 outlets · January 2026

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