Written by Michael Bray, July 7th 2022

Over the last several weeks, I’ve used this column to discuss the key structural components of wine. So far, we’ve explored acidity, tannin, residual sugar, and fruitiness. Today, we’ll finish our journey with a discussion of the final structural component of wine: alcohol. While all wines contain alcohol, the level of alcohol will vary depending on grape varietal, growing region, and the choices of the winemaker.

As a recap, wine is made when natural grape sugars are fermented into alcohol. As such, there is a vital relationship between sugar and alcohol. Some grapes (including Zinfandel and Grenache) are naturally higher in sugar, and they thus have a potential to create dry wines with a high alcohol content. That said, if the winemaker chooses to halt the fermentation process before all the sugars have been converted to alcohol, these grapes can also produce sweeter wines with a low ABV (alcohol by volume). This is why a grape like Zinfandel is so versatile: it can be used to make robust, dry red wines, as well as light, sweet blush wines.

Click here to read the full article at Shore Local Newsmagazine.