Winecurrent has been approached by concerned and knowledgeable subscribers about including the level of alcohol in each wine review. Some were concerned about the obvious effect of an alcoholic beverage with 11% alcohol by volume, not an unusually low alcohol level a few years back even for a red, compared with the 16% plus behemoths we see today. Others were concerned about the effect on the taste and enjoyment of the wine. Some find high alcohol wines ‘hot’ to the taste—a result of an unbalanced level of alcohol.
Many of these high alcohol wines have limited ability to pair with foods. Only hearty stews, hard cheeses and slabs of beef are capable of standing up to many of them. Even worse, at 16% alcohol and higher, it may lessen the enjoyment of a second and third glass because of a number of factors—they appear (and in some cases are) sweet and feel very full-bodied. There were factors that persuaded us to include the alcohol level and here are a few of the more compelling ones.
- For those concerned with limiting their alcohol intake, 4 glasses of wine with a 12% level of alcohol by volume equates to having only 3 glasses of wine of 16%.
- Pure alcohol has little or no taste, but it does appear sweet to our taste buds. Therefore, two wines that are ‘dry’, both with equal parts of residual sugar, will taste different if one is 12% alcohol and the other 15%. The 15% will ‘taste’ sweeter.
- Alcohol is also a major contributor to the body of a wine. As a general rule, the higher the alcohol, the more full-bodied the wine. Many find high alcohol wines over powering, not allowing them to enjoy multiple glasses, at times not even one glass.
- Winemakers discovered, and wine-lovers loved it, more flavourful fruity wines were possible by simply letting the grapes (especially red) hang on the vines longer before harvesting. Previously winemakers picked grapes almost solely on the ‘Brix’ level (the amount of sugar in unfermented grapes). Most winemakers now harvest when the grapes are ‘physiologically ripe’ (includes ripeness of seeds and tannin). However, this later harvest also raises the sugar (Brix) levels. As the sugar levels in the unfermented grape rise, the alcohol level in the finished wine rises accordingly.
- Finally, there’s global warming. As the wine regions heat up it becomes possible for ‘cool climate’ regions to work with varietals hitherto thought impossible e.g. Shiraz in Niagara. It also changes the profile of many grapes. Many think Cabernet Franc and its green bell pepper flavours are inseparable until tasting a riper Cab Franc from a warmer region. While all this might be positive for most wine-lovers they are all accomplished by harvesting grapes at higher Brix levels and resulting in sweeter, or sweeter tasting wines with higher alcohol and a fuller body. One way around this is to de-alcoholize wine—cut back the alcohol level in the finished wine by reverse osmosis, a spinning cone, or simply by adding water. A practice not loved by all, but employed nevertheless.