Do you know the alcohol content of your favourite wines? We’re here to help.
Alcoholic drinks all use the global metric of alcohol by volume, or ABV. This measures the amount of ethanol in a volume of liquid, or its alcohol content. The higher the percentage, the more alcohol there is, and this figure should always be loud and clear on the bottle’s label.
Here in Australia, it’s important to note these figures allow for a 1.5% swing. So, a cabernet, for example, might state its ABV as 14%, but the wine could technically be 15.5% – or 12.5%. This is an allowance set out by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) for any drink with an ABV of 0.5% or more. Why? It’s designed to account for a few different factors, including batch variation and the fact that alcohol percentage can change once a wine’s been bottled. Still, few wines will have significantly different ABVs to what’s on their label, but it’s possible.
There are countless decisions producers can make that will determine the final alcohol content of a wine. While the various grape varieties have inherently different alcohol levels, much of it comes down to when the fruit is picked. The sugar levels of grapes are measured with the metric known as baumé (boh-may) and this figure roughly equates to the resulting wine’s alcohol level. Essentially, grapes picked earlier in the harvest season tend to retain a crisp acidity and brighter characters, with a slightly lower sugar level, or resulting alcohol content. Meanwhile, grapes left on the vine for longer can develop richer, fuller flavours and a higher sugar content, which equates to a higher ABV. This is because during the fermentation process, yeast converts these sugars into alcohol.
Traditionally, white varieties such as riesling and sauvignon blanc are picked earlier, but with more reds being made in a slightly pared-back style, a number of producers are harvesting all sorts of grapes earlier than in the past. Each grape variety and season are different, just as each winery team will make their own call to create their desired style.
The old wine term of “legs” is a good guide, referring to the droplets of wine inside your glass. Swirl the wine around in your glass and watch how it settles when you stop. If your glass looks a lot like how it started, with no wine clinging to the sides, this is most likely a lighter-alcohol style – generally considered around 12% ABV. But if thick, viscous legs of wine coat the inside of your glass, this wine will likely have a higher ABV, perhaps 14% or higher.
Another tell-tale sign of a higher alcohol level is if a wine leaves you with a warming feeling. Literally. You’ll know it when a sip of wine leaves your mouth and throat feeling a little hot.
