Too Much Alcohol

Some wines have too much alcohol; in fact, they have way too much alcohol. I know, some of you are going to stop reading now because you would tell me that that is the point. In 2020 and now 2021, in partcular, that has really become the point.

But, it's not. 

If you just want to get drunk, wine is not the fastest way. Remember that Cinco de Mayo when you had fun doing shots of tequila? You don't? Actually, you don't remember anything from that night, but if you did, you would remember that you got far drunker far faster than you could have from wine in a short period of time.

So, why dirnk wine? For the flavor perhaps. For the experience. For the ways it enhances food and conversely. Because it makes you feel good not just for the bit of a buzz that you get, but for the sensory explosion. And, you don't need ultra-high alcohol content to get there.

Can this be fixed? The problem is that the regions that have been producing really high alcohol content wine are really warm during growing season. And, they have been getting warmer and dryer, at least in most of the recent vintages. Warmer and dryer leads to higher brix and longer hang times which leads to more concentrated flavors and more sugar content in the grapes which leads to more potential alcohol and you get the rest. And, the buying public, at least in the US, seem to really like very alcoholic, often over-extracted wines.

So, be a rebel. Look at the alcoholic content on wine bottles. At least in the US, it must be disclosed ... in writing ... on the label or bottle. Try some with lower alcoholic content and marvel that the subleties come to the fore. Maybe you'll like that. Maybe you'll like that more.

But, it's going to force you to branch out. And, that's a good thing. You might just find your new favorite wine.

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