After an exhausting day at work sometimes there’s only one remedy. You find yourself in the store picking out a nice bottle of wine to drink with dinner.
You spot an Australian Shiraz you haven’t tried before which you’re sure your other half will love. A few glasses later and the stresses of the day fade into the background.
It’s time to call it a day!
When you wake up the next day, though, that bottle doesn’t seem like such a great idea after all. Your head is in agony, your mind is all over the place and your mouth is as dry as a desert after just a couple of glasses!
So, what went wrong? Well, you may not have realized it at the time, but that Australian Shiraz actually had a pretty high alcohol level.
Most people can easily drink a couple of glasses of refreshing white wine or Champagne sparkling without any problems the next day, but with heavier red wines it’s a different story.
Alcohol Levels in Various Wine Styles
When we take a look at the figures, the differences are striking!
Australian Shiraz can be as high as 16% alcohol, while Champagne is usually closer to 12% and a light-bodied white wine like Riesling can be 11% alcohol by volume or less!
When you think back to those couple of glasses of Shiraz, it’s easy to see why they left you feeling hungover.
There are times when having a little more alcohol is a wonderful thing. Like when you’re throwing a party and you want people to let their hair down and feel free to be themselves.
Here it’s a good idea to look for wines like the popular Whispering Angel rosé which clocks in at 13% alcohol or a rich red wine like the Duckhorn Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon which contains 14% alcohol.
A really easy way to think about alcohol levels in wine is to recognize that each moment suits a different style of wine.
For example, if you’re planning a late morning brunch with friends, it’s best to stick to white or sparkling wines at 12 or 13% alcohol to make sure you can enjoy the rest of the day. On the other hand, for a barbecue with friends you’ll probably want to serve red and white wines which have 13% to 14% alcohol to get the party vibes going without overwhelming your guests and risking a bad hangover the next day.
How To Choose the Right Wine?
Choosing the right alcohol level isn’t always as easy as it sounds, though.
It’s best to check each label thoroughly as even wines that are from the same wine region and made with the same grape variety can differ greatly when it comes to alcohol percentage (also called abv or alcohol by volume).
For lovers of Cabernet Sauvignon for example, a bottle of Domaine Eden 2011 comes in at 13.5%, while the Orin Swift Palermo 2015 is 15.5% alcohol by volume!
Alcohol levels can also vary from vintage to vintage.
So it’s a good idea to look at this as well. If you enjoy drinking older wines this is particularly important as over the past thirty to forty years wines have become increasingly richer and more powerful.
This trend has led to increased alcohol levels across the wine-producing world. These changes have been most obvious in places like the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere which are collectively known as the New World.
Red wines from these regions like Californian Zinfandel or Argentinian Malbec frequently reach as much as 16% alcohol.
Over in Europe, this trend has also had an impact. In the 1960s a high alcohol Bordeaux would have been anything over 12.5%, while today most Bordeaux wines fall into the 13% – 14% range.
So, how should you change your buying habits to make sure you’re getting the right alcohol level?
In reality, there’s no big secret to it. All you need to do is keep buying the wines you like rather than trying to follow what is cool or trendy. There is a moment for each style of wine, from light sparkling wines to heavy reds, and today there are thousands of high alcohol wines that are balanced and well-made.
Examples of these easy-going high alcohol wines include the full-bodied Cycles Gladiator Zinfandel which is full of ripe, rich fruit aromas and flavours that perfectly balance the generous alcohol.
When you do feel in the mood for a lighter, lower alcohol wine, try a Pinot Noir if you’re a red wine drinker or experiment with a bottle of light, fresh Vinho Verde or even a non-vintage Champagne.
Great options are the Champagnes from Soutiran or the Iuris Pinot Noir from Croatia which are both under 13% alcohol.
When it comes to wine shopping, it’s important to remember that the wines you’re drinking should be making you happy as well as suiting your mood.
The beauty of being more aware of alcohol levels is that you can shop smart and buy wines that you love which don’t leave you destroyed the next day.
So if you fancy drinking a hearty bottle of white followed by a lighter red you can.
ll you need to do is pick out something like an oaky Chardonnay with 14% and a lower alcohol French Syrah like the Jean-Luc Colombo Saint-Joseph Le Prieuré which has 13%.
By drinking smarter you can control how much alcohol you imbibe and how you will feel the next day!
Related Reads – Calories & Sulfites in Wine
To learn more about the composition of wine and its impact on your health, continue reading through the following related articles: Calories in Wine: Top 7 Facts
Also check what you need to know about sulfites in wine.
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