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What is a ‘hot’ wine?
I N T E L L I G E N C E F O R T H E W I N E C O N S U M E R
by Len Napolitano
Despite its connotation for things that are trendy and in demand,
when applied to wine, the word “hot” is definitely not one that makes
winemakers feel warm and fuzzy.
A “hot” wine is one whose alcohol content is over the top. Along
with other components of fruitiness, tannin and acidity, alcohol is a
necessary part of every great wine, but when it dominates a wine’s
impact on the palate, it causes a burning sensation on the tongue, or
lips or on the whole palate. When severe, it can be quite jarring to the
unsuspecting wine drinker.
Of all the components that make up a bottle of wine, alcohol is
perhaps the one that makes the biggest impact in the final product.
Because, by manipulating the amount of alcohol in the wine, a
winemaker can give a dry wine an impression of sweetness, or make a
thin wine feel more full-bodied.
There are ways in which a wine’s alcohol level can be
manipulated – one takes place outside in the vineyard and the other
inside the winery.
In the vineyard, grapes that are left longer on the vine before
picking, that is, increasing its “hang time,” will naturally develop
more sugar. And it’s the sugar inside the grapes that gets converted
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into alcohol during fermentation. So, if you start fermentation with a
high percentage of sugar content in the juice, you end up with more
alcohol when the fermentation finishes.
In the past ten years, the average amount of alcohol in wines has
quietly been creeping upward. Not long ago, the average Chardonnay
contained 11.5%-12.5% alcohol, but today it’s quite normal to see
13.0% or more. And, the issue is not limited to just Chardonnay.
From Fumé Blanc to Zinfandel, the trend is evident in most
California wines.
It’s hard to determine if the wine producers are simply responding
to consumer demand for more robust wines or acting on a desire to
imitate the higher alcohol levels in wines that have been consistently
getting highest scores from many respected wine critics and
publications. Whichever the reason, the trend is something the wine
consumer should be concerned with. However, some wine producers
are making an effort to control the growth of high-alcohol wines.
Inside the winery, winemakers who feel that a wine doesn’t
necessarily get better with more alcohol take steps to actually reduce
the alcohol content in wines that ferment to excessive heights. A
mechanical process, called spinning cone technology, can be used to
remove a pre-determined amount of alcohol from wine in order to
make it more balanced, food-friendly and exhibit more noticeable
delicacy and nuance. Another method of reducing alcohol is to add
water to the fermenting juice, although this approach is not often used.
Len Napolitano lives in San Luis Obispo County and is certified in wine by the Society of Wine Educators,
Wine & Spirits Education Trust and Chicago Wine School and continually gains knowledge from his frequent contact
with California winemakers. More information is on his website, www.wineology.com.
Send your questions about wine to: wineologist@earthlink.net or by mail to Len Napolitano in care of
Wine Country This Week magazine. Wineology is a registered trademark of Len Napolitano.
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