Sep 2012
Alcohol - Woo hoo or not
September, 2012 Filed in: Tasting wine
Too often, particularly with fruit wine makers, I get asked how do I increase the alcohol in my wine. To which, I reply, if you want more alcohol, have another glass! It can be done by adding additional sugar to the wine, but in my opinion it destroys the taste and balance of wine.
Alcohol in wine affects the taste, smell and body of wine. Alcohol is a complex sugar and therefore when alcohol levels are high the wine will taste sweet. This is why, high alcohol wines like Zinfandel (red) and Amarone taste sweeter and yet they have a sweetness rating of 0.
Higher alcohol levels will lower the acidic taste of wine. This is because wine with higher alcohol uses grapes with higher sugar levels, achieved often by picking the grapes when they are riper. These very ripe grapes are lower in acids.
Alcohol can also bring out the tannic taste of wine. Many Aussie Shiraz’s because of the hot climate are high in alcohol and this is why we describe these wines as tannic. Pucker power, mouth-drying tannic.
As I indicated in a recent blog in our Facebook site, warming your wine above 20C will result in the alcohol “vapourizing” to the point of destroying the wonderful tastes of the wine.
Personally, I prefer wines of moderate alcohol levels. I find these wines will offer greater levels of taste and complexity. Typically, but not always, European wines are lower in alcohol than new world wines.
Alcohol in wine affects the taste, smell and body of wine. Alcohol is a complex sugar and therefore when alcohol levels are high the wine will taste sweet. This is why, high alcohol wines like Zinfandel (red) and Amarone taste sweeter and yet they have a sweetness rating of 0.
Higher alcohol levels will lower the acidic taste of wine. This is because wine with higher alcohol uses grapes with higher sugar levels, achieved often by picking the grapes when they are riper. These very ripe grapes are lower in acids.
Alcohol can also bring out the tannic taste of wine. Many Aussie Shiraz’s because of the hot climate are high in alcohol and this is why we describe these wines as tannic. Pucker power, mouth-drying tannic.
As I indicated in a recent blog in our Facebook site, warming your wine above 20C will result in the alcohol “vapourizing” to the point of destroying the wonderful tastes of the wine.
Personally, I prefer wines of moderate alcohol levels. I find these wines will offer greater levels of taste and complexity. Typically, but not always, European wines are lower in alcohol than new world wines.