It seems that more and more, we run into wines that are have higher and higher alcohol contents. This is a trend, whose origins are somewhat difficult to determine, is indeed an undeniable truth. It wasn’t all that long ago that most red wines had an alcohol content of around 11 or 12 percent. Now you are hard pressed to find a red wine with 13 percent alcohol and the commonality of 14.5-percent to 16.5-percent alcohol wine is huge and they seem to be coming from all over the world. I guess the interesting question is whether or not this stylistic change is a result of trend or if it is the result of the impending result of the global climate change?
Alcohol is simply one of two byproducts of the chemical reaction between sugar and yeast. It then goes to reason, therefore, that if there is more sugar in the grapes and if enough yeast is present to ferment it all, the result would be a wine with a higher alcohol content. It is another very basic principal of viticulture that the warmer the region, the more sugar a grape has the potential to produce. That is why the wines of Spain, Southern France, Italy, California, and Australia among others have all historically produced wines of higher alcohol content. While the temperature across the world rises, other regions of the world such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Oregon are all starting to experience a rise in the alcoholic content of their wines.
There are, however, other factors that have contributed to this rise in alcohol. The style is more popular and winemakers cater to it. It is the sentiment of many wine writers these days that the more alcohol a wine has, the better. The alcohol content in a wine does have a considerable effect on the flavor. For one, a high enough alcohol content creates the illusion of a bit of sweetness which in the case of a strong and tannic wine can be quite balancing. In addition, an alcoholic wine will always be more aromatic just based on the nature of alcohol and its tenancy to evaporate quickly.
Another contributing factor may be the trend in modern winemaking to harvest during phenolic ripeness as opposed to just plain old sugar ripeness. Phenolic ripeness is often known as flavor ripeness and is the stage in the lifespan of a grape in which its flavor is most expressive. This stage often comes later in the season than when the grapes are capable of making wines of 13 percent alcohol.
I for one personally miss the days of lower alcohol contents. For one you can drink more. I thoroughly enjoyed a bottle of 2004 Nermanthia from the Termanthia house recently whose alcohol content was more than 15 percent. The problem was that by the end of dinner I could barely stand. I have found also that wines that have too much alcohol have a tendency to lose their elegance and nuance. While I love the style on occasion I could use a few more wines that are a little bit more lean.
Zev Rovine is a Park City sommelier. His wine education comes from the American Sommelier Association in New York City. If you have any wine queries or comments, he is easily contacted via e-mail at [email protected] .