As the days grow shorter and the temperatures plummet faster than my self-esteem, it’s natural to want to curl up in a corner, trembling as you anxiously await Krampus’s annual visit. But why not face Mr. Snow Miser with a different type of heat? Tis the perfect season to embrace “hot” wines (the kind with a high ABV) to thaw your cold, dark soul.
Do these wines actually keep you warm? TECHNICALLY NO; alcohol can actually lower your core body temperature and increase your susceptibility to hypothermia (THE GOOD KIND!)… But who’s counting the “science” when you can savor that delightful warmth creeping down your throat?
That’s why this pre-dry/damp/moist-January, we’ve decided to indulge in the cozy illusion of warmth that high ABV wines provide.
In just a few weeks time, we’ll hit you with the counter-pitch and serve up some low-no ABV recs for you, along with a critical analysis of the science—or lack thereof—behind the notion that you can “reset” your health and “well-being” by drastically cutting back on alcohol for a month. In the meantime…
WHAT ARE “HOT” WINES?
In “wino-ese” a wine described as “hot” is a wine with a high enough level of alcohol to create a warming sensation when you taste it, and is often a term that indicates the alcohol in the wine is out of balance.
But to define it a little more quantitatively, our trusty little WSET “textbook” categorizes “high alcohol wines” as typically having an alcohol content of 14% ABV and above. Some classic examples of high alcohol wines include fortified styles like Port, Madeira and Sherry (~15-22% ABV), as well as non-fortified wines such as Amarone, (~15-17% ABV), Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (~14-15% ABV), and Australian Shiraz (~14-16% ABV).
Hot wines are the “perfect pairing” for hearty winter meals and dark lonely nights by the “fireplace” pondering life’s purpose and our terrible choices as we spread holiday cheer and celebrate the “most wonderful time of the year.”
WHY ARE SOME WINES HIGHER ABV?
There are several ways wines wind up in the “high alcohol zone,” so to speak.
Broadly speaking it comes down to either or both of two things:
Alcohol produced during fermentation
Additional alcohol added to the wine (fortification)
Alcohol From Fermentation
How much alcohol is produced during fermentation is primarily influenced by the amount of sugar available to the yeast to convert into alcohol.
Simplified formula to describe the process: sugar + yeast = alcohol + CO2
For that reason, “Mother Nature” plays a significant role in determining a wine's potential alcohol content. Warmer climates (e.g. California or Australia) tend to produce riper grapes with higher sugar levels. These sugar-packed “berries” naturally lead to wines with higher abv without any cellar trickery. “Climate change” is throwing a boozy little curveball into this equation, causing traditionally cooler regions (and warmer regions) to experience increasingly warm vintages and thusly higher sugar levels in grapes across the board, potentially cranking up the alcohol levels in wines from unexpected places. It’s a mixed bag, because while some wine styles benefit from the additional sugar ripeness, other regions are facing the challenge of maintaining their wine's traditional style and balance while dealing with Mr. Golden sun’s angry mood swings.
Varieties that naturally ripen quickly or have inherently high levels of sugar ripeness also yield generally higher abv wines.
Winemakers can “influence” sugar levels in the vineyard by employing late harvesting, allowing grapes to reach peak ripeness on the vine. Allowing a "long hang time" is particularly common in premium Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon production, where it not only boosts alcohol levels but also “enhances” flavor complexity and color intensity — they have to be careful though, as the swollen little berries also become susceptible to a host of diseases and risk of rot when they reach that level of ripeness. It’s worth noting that late harvesting doesn’t always reflect high abv wines, because fermentation can be stopped early to produce a sweeter, lower alcohol style (a common choice made for sweeter rieslings, for example).
Factors that cause the sugar to water ratio in grapes to increase can also produce higher alcohol wines, though winemakers often choose to produce lower alcohol, sweeter styles from these grapes instead. One cause is Noble Rot (a fungus that causes the grapes to have a higher sugar to water ratio). Another is freezing on the vine, which similarly causes water content in the grapes to crystallize and drop, concentrating sugars (how ice wine/Eiswein is made). More common in wines that are intended to produce a higher alcohol style, however, is raisination — or allowing the grapes to dry out (LIKE MANY OF YOU WILL BE IN JANUARY) — which has the same effect of concentrating sugars. One technique for doing this is the Appassimento method (used to produce Amarone).
Intrepid winemakers can also use various crafty little "techniques" to "influence" alcohol content in the winery. The addition of sugar to the must before or during fermentation is not uncommon in cooler regions where grapes may not naturally achieve high sugar levels. Warmer fermentation temperatures can also encourage more complete sugar conversion, as can selecting alcohol-tolerant yeast strains that extend the fermentation at higher ABV levels.
Fortification
Fortification is the process of adding alcohol to a wine prior to bottling.
For Port, Madeira and Sherry wines (among others), distinct fortification methods are used to achieve high alcohol content.
Port(click to learn more) is fortified midway through fermentation, typically when the wine reaches 5-9% ABV, actually stopping natural fermentation of sugar into alcohol, but increasing the final alcohol content to 19-22% ABV due to the high ethanol content of the spirits that are added.
Sherry(click to learn more), on the other hand, is fortified after fermentation is complete, with the level of fortification determining the aging process and final style. After the aging process, Sherry is typically fortified again to reach a final ABV of 18-20%.
HOW DO WINEMAKERS ACHIEVE BALANCE?
To achieve balance in high-alcohol wines winemakers use a smattering of extremely wholesome little tricks. They tend to revolve around adjusting the other sensory and structural components in the wine to mask or better “integrate” the alcohol into the wine. Carefully controlled sugar levels, tannins, acidity, and flavor intensity are all considerations.
One method used is extended maceration, a technique that prolongs the contact between grape skins and juice. This process enhances the extraction of phenolic compounds, including tannins and color pigments, resulting in a more robust body and complex structure. The increased extraction of tannins during extended maceration can help balance the perception of high alcohol levels by providing a counterpoint to the wine's richness and body.
Higher sugar levels can be extremely effective in masking high alcohol levels in wine, a critical factor in achieving balance for many fortified wines.
Profile: Toasted nuts, fig, prune, caramel, maple syrup, cinnamon, gingersnap Palate: Sweet, high acid, medium tannin, full body, medium+ finish ABV: 15%
This is the first time I’ve had the chance to taste a Mavrodaphne of Patras(click for more info), a fortified Greek dessert wine made primarily from the Mavrodaphne grape. It is made in much the same way as Port, though the blends can only include Mavrodaphne and Mavri Korinthiaki, and the resultant wine shares many qualities with its Portuguese counterpart.
This was a fun one to try, in spite of the fact that it doesn’t really align with my taste preferences personally. It really does have a lot of overlapping qualities with Tawny Port, but the main difference in the case of at least this bottle, is that the level of sweetness was a bit too high and the overall balance was off. It doesn’t show the restraint that good examples of Port show, but if you have a sweet tooth and typically like Port wines, this is something you should explore — and it certainly won’t break the bank. I am looking forward to trying some higher quality examples in the future.
Profile: Black cherry, black plum, mixed berry pie, cedar, mocha, vanilla, ballpoint pen ink, licorice, baking spice, sage Palate: Dry, medium acid, high tannin, full body, long finish ABV: 15%
Very typical Napa Cab black fruit profile, with hints of baked fruit (berry pie) and well integrated oak spices. It's definitely on the riper side, which is to be expected from this “hotter style.” The oak is well integrated, giving the wine some complexity, but this is primarily primary black fruits and oak, made in a concentrated, “delicious” style.
Profile: Dried cherry, prune, fig, milk chocolate, toasted walnuts, clove, cinnamon, dried violets, tobacco, hint of acetone Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium tannin, full body, long finish ABV: 15.5%
Intense oxidative aromas of dried fruits (as expected for a raisin-based wine) and toasted walnut, layered with milk chocolate, “holiday spices” and a touch of minerality and floral notes. Great richness and concentration, balanced by good acidity. This reminds me of a good Tawny port minus the residual sugar.
It’s true that wines with higher alcohol sometimes read as hot which can tip the scales of balance against them, but there are some interesting and really great options out there, the best of which manage to integrate the alcohol seamlessly.
And while we’re not here to suggest you should ever imbibe more than a safe amount of the stuff (LEAVE THAT TO THE PROFESSIONALS), don’t shy away from wine just because it sports a slightly higher abv.
We’re going to do a deep dive into all that in a few weeks to try to paint a more honest picture of the health effects of alcohol for you, but in the meantime, take a deep breath, paste on an uncomfortably wide smile, and responsibly enjoy some unusually high abv vino this holiday season.
Until next time, HAPPY DRINKING PEOPLE.
Cheers!
Isaac & Zach
Tannic Panic! is hot, but perfectly balanced. SUBSCRIBE.
