The Amount of Alcohol in Wine
February 29, 2008
I have often wondered about the amount of alcohol in wine. Would you be able to clarify this for me? Thank you. - Christi in Indianapolis, IN
Christi, this is something that actually depends on what kind of wine you are fond of drinking and many other factors combined. I’ll explain. Alcohol in wine is as important an element in the final product as the grape itself. It doesn’t just effect how you feel after drinking it but it also the taste, aroma and also the mouthfeel of a wine and I want to mention that its very important to pay attention to how a wine feels in your mouth, especially for wine virgins.
The alcohol content in wine is measured as a percentage vs. proof, which is how alcohol is measured in hard liquor. In the U.S., if the wine is labeled as a “Table Wine” then it has to have less than 14% alcohol by volume. The law also permits a 1.5% leeway. If a label says 12.5% alcohol by volume, it can actually be as high as 14% or as low as 11%. In the U.S., if a label simply says “Table Wine” then the alcohol content is between 11% and 14%.
For most grapes, after the wine fermentation process has taken place, the amount of alcohol in wine by volume is around 8% on the low end, and 14% on the high end. Today the alcohol in wine can be much higher, especially in hot climates like Australia. And, with new wine growing techniques, and better controls in the winemaking process it is not unusual to see wine over 15% or more in alcohol.
A quick list is provided below about the different varieties and alcohol content in wine.
Table wine: 8 – 14%
Sparkling wine: 8 – 12%
Fortified wine: 17 – 22%
Christi, go ahead and remember this the next time you’re out. You now have the info you need to decide exactly how much fun you are really going to have. Be careful though, you might be surprised at the kick a simple table wine can provide.
What is Port Wine?
February 21, 2008
Wine Virgin I was wondering if you could tell me what is port wine? Is it all wine from Portugal that is what one of my friends says but when I had some port recently it sure seemed to have a bit of a kick. - Matt in Florida
Well Matt your friend’s claim is somewhat grounded in fact but also way off at the same time and that extra kick you mention is something that can get a wine virgin or anyone for that matter into trouble if they are not careful.
You see port is a sweet Portuguese, fortified wine from the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. Port is often served as a dessert wine. Wines in the style of the Portuguese product called port are also produced around the world in several countries-most notably Australia, South Africa, India, Canada and the United States.
Port is produced from grapes like all wines at least initially. The wine is then fortified with much higher alcohol product made from distilled wine (quite often cognac). The goal of this and the effect is to boost the alcohol content. Port wine is stored and aged, often in barrels and stored for quite a long time before being bottled.
I dearly love a good port but you had better not make the virgin mistake of treating port like chardonnay or you just might wake up regretting the night before in more ways then one. Try a small glass of Port after a big meal in place of desert some time especially after a nice steak or chops.