Alcohol Content Higher in Wine

Led by California vineyards, some wine producers are increasing the alcohol content in their products, WNBC-4 in Columbus, Ohio, reported July 12.

Some wines that previously had about 12 percent alcohol now have 14-16.5 percent alcohol; experts say the reason is that vintners are using ultra-ripe fruit to produce wines that have more flavor. But riper fruit also means more alcohol is produced during fermentation.

Most of the higher-alcohol wines come from California, but wineries from other regions of the U.S. and internationally are beginning to follow suit. The trend has picked up over the past three years, experts said.

"Most people wouldn't be able to decipher the difference," said Justin Kleineider of Wine Bank. "The only thing they would know is since they have higher alcohol, (they have) more fruit (and) more rich flavors in the wine."

For consumers, the trend can be problematic for a few reasons: the alcohol content on a bottle of wine is in small print and can be difficult to read, and even a 4-percent rise in alcohol content is the equivalent of drinking an extra half-glass of beer with every glass of wine.

"I always feel that I'm pretty good with two glasses, and if the alcohol content changed, it might be dangerous," said wine drinker Deborah Levin.