A glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away heard that one before, haven’t you? While wine in moderation may have some benefits, what counts is the alcohol content in the wine. The American standard of wine is 5 ounces which work out to approximately 12% alcohol. However, since the kinds of wines differ, so does their alcohol content.
Those that imbibe wine with a higher ABV (alcohol by volume) should have smaller servings and vice-versa. In this blog, we look at the distribution of alcohol content in winemaking and examine those wines with lower and higher content. Plus, we will offer a brief insight into wine and food pairings and examine the role of alcohol in affecting our taste perceptions.
How to determine wine’s alcohol content?
Whether red, white or sparkling wine, its alcohol content is in proportion to the sugar content of the grapes. The more the content of sugar in the grapes, the higher will be the content of alcohol in the fermentation process.
It is the fermentation process during which the sugar is converted into alcohol. Either it stops on its own once the sugar goes or if the vintner adds distilled spirit or adds more sugar to the wine. There are other factors at play such as the kind of grapes, the climate of the vineyard and the kind of wine.
Cooler climates with a lesser growing season have relatively cool summers with limited sunshine. Some of these regions are Mosel in Germany, Champagne in France etc. This results in less sugar in the grapes. Alternatively, warmer climates ripen the grapes more and produce more sugar increasing the ABV. E.g., Murray Valley in Australia and Sonoma in California.
Alcohol Levels of Wine
The ABV of wine is divided into several varying groups that include low, medium-low, medium-high, high and very high. There will always be exceptions of course and we have just made a general assessment of wines based on their alcohol content. We have primarily divided the wines into three categories based on high, medium and low alcohol content. When you do drink any wine, it is recommended to check the ABV content to know the quantity of alcohol you will imbibe.
High-alcohol content of 14.5% ABV or more
If you are looking to get boozy these wines have the highest ABV content. Most of them are from warmed regions like California, Australia and Chile with plenty of sunshine that increases the sugar and thus alcohol content. Some of them include fortified wines that get a boost with added distilled spirits.
Australian Cabernet Sauvignon
Australian Shiraz
California Cabernet Sauvignon
California Syrah
California Zinfandel
Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon
Fortified wines (Sicilian Marsala, Spanish Sherry, Portuguese Madeira, French Muscat)
Merlot from Australia, California, or Chile
Moderate-alcohol content 12.5%-14% ABV
When you plan to go wine shopping for your next party and do not want your guests to get out of their wits, look for a wine that has moderate alcohol content. Generally, most wines fall in the range of 12.5-14% ABV with some of the popular ones like:
Australian Chardonnay
Austrian Grüner Veltliner
Australian Riesling
California Chardonnay
California Pinot Noir
California Rosé (hello, Usual Wines!)
Champagne
French Alsace
French Beaujolais
French Bordeaux
French Burgundy
French Malbec
French Merlot
French Pinot Noir
French White Burgundy
German Pinot Noir
Italian Barolo
Italian Chianti
Italian Pinot Grigio
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
South African Sauvignon Blanc
Spanish Rioja
Low-alcohol content below 12.5% ABV
If you are looking to limit the amount of alcohol you consume, choosing any of these low-content wines is just what you need. They are sparkling and light to enjoy at any time of the year.
French Gamay
French Muscadet
German Riesling
Italian Asti
Italian Brachetto d’Acqui
Italian Prosecco
Portuguese Rosé
Spanish Txakoli
Food pairings according to the wine’s alcohol content
The taste of alcohol tends to vary from person to person. Some find it bitter, while others find it refreshing in taste. Wines that have high ABV taste stronger and have a more lasting sensation than wines with lower ABV that taste crisper and lighter to the palate. There are subtle nuances between wines that depend on their alcohol content. The trick is to pair them accordingly with your favorite kinds of food. Sometimes it takes trial and error with a fair bit of experimentation to stumble on the right kind of wine and food pairings to get things right.
High-alcohol pairings: These wines are ideal for meat dishes that include flavorful sauces in dishes like well-barbecued ribs. If you plan to combine these with dessert fortified wines are ideal with rich chocolate cake or other sweet temptations that add a special flavor to the dish.
Medium-alcohol pairings: This group has the highest variety of wines; therefore, it needs experimentation to see what wine and food pairings match the best. For full-bodied wines such as Chardonnay, try shellfish, poultry or pork. For light red wines like Pinot Noir, they match with pasta and salmon-like dishes.
Low-alcohol pairings: Ideal with seafood dishes, sift cheese like feta, brie and appetizers like charcuterie.
Raise a toast
From the region where the grapes come to the fermentation process, several factors both external and internal, determine the alcohol content of wine. The level of alcohol leaves an impact on the effect, texture and taste but not on its quality. Irrespective of the alcohol content a bottle of wine can be a pleasure to sip on.
A few things to keep in mind when choosing wine for food pairings are the less the ABV the more versatile and balanced will it be with different foods, while wines with high alcohol content have intense flavors and are full-bodied. Finally, it boils down to one’s personal preferences in the taste of wines, as some like it stronger and others milder. Whatever your choice of wine, raise a toast and enjoy it while imbibing it responsibly, to better enjoy the experience.