Delhi Wine Club organised Uruguayan wine tasting at the residence of the Ambassador William Ehlers. One of the things that impressed me about their wines was that the alcohol levels in most of the ten wines tasted were between 12-13.5%, a growing rarity in the new world wines.

When Indian Wine Academy was commissioned by ICE last year to compile the Italian Wine Guide 2006 , it was my strong desire to mention alcohol levels in the Tasting Notes we had prepared for the Indian audience. The notes included grapes, region, winery description, wine characteristics like aroma, flavour, body, sweetness, after-taste, serving temperatures and food match. But I had to abandon the idea because the relevant information was scanty. Importers of these wines, generally, were not bothered about this minor detail.

I have gone on record on this website, being a 5/14 person. I don't like to drink anything less than 5%, ruling out beer and wine coolers as also wines over 14% alcohol. I do taste wines containing over 14%; the frequency has been going up. Currently 14.5% seems to be the norm at the higher end with 15- or even 16% levels not hard to find. Of course, fortified wines start where wines hand them over the baton.

And here I am talking of what is displayed on the label only. Most countries and regional appellations allow a 'margin' of 0.5 to 1.5%. Many times the label may read 14%. But the wine tastes like it has 15% or even more, with a burning sensation in the gullet and the alcohol vapours stinging the nose.

Alcohol in wine is a natural ingredient while fermenting grapes using yeasts which help convert sugar into alcohol, releasing carbon dioxide. As the alcohol level rises, the capacity and speed of yeast to further break sugar into alcohol decreases and around 16-17% it totally stops, leaving a minimum of about 1 gm/ litre that can never be converted.

If the fermentation is made to stop earlier, the wine can be sweeter, with lower alcohol. The potential of alcohol is determined by the sugar in the grapes at the time of harvesting and is usually measured in Brix or Oechsle. Of course, in areas of cold clime like Champagne, Burgundy and many areas of France, Germany etc. the sugar may be added; this process is known as chaptalisation.

In warm areas where sunny days are plenty and summers are hot, grapes have much higher level of sugar and have potentially more alcohol. Higher alcohol also gives more body to the wine; the beautiful legs you see on the side of the glass when you swirl, are also indicative of high alcohol (and glycerine) content.

The phenomenon of gradually escalating levels of alcohol may be due to global warming. In the current scenario of Europe going through heat waves, the levels of alcohol get pushed up. But the major thrust has come from the new world wine makers who like to make bold, powerful, full body wines with higher alcohol, which the uncrowned king of wines, Robert Parker loves. To get higher ratings and the resultant higher prices and sales the winemakers often follow his palate.

So what is wrong with high alcohol? 'Wine is not alcohol', is what I tell the non-wine drinkers, raising their eye-brows. What I mean is that alcohol is there to give proper flavour, balance and personality to the wine. It needs to be an integral part of the flavours and should not mask the minerality, earthiness or other characteristics that come from the terroir and the varietal. This is where the winemaker plays his role. Otherwise, you might as well drink grape or thick prune juice.

Till a certain level, alcohol is fine on the palate and nose. If you have nosed a high alcohol wine (above 14%, by my reckoning) at slightly warmer temperature, you would agree that the alcohol vapours dominate or at any rate interfere with the natural aromas and bouquet of the wine. You feel the burning sensation rather than the pleasant after taste the wine ought to offer for an enjoyable experience. The wine does not get a chance to express its basic, pleasant varietal character.

High alcohol wines do not go very well with food for the same reasons. Try a German Riesling with 13% alcohol with spicy Indian food, you would like it. Then try an off dry Riesling from Mosel with only 8-9% alcohol. You will find it very refreshing, more palatable and lighter and you would want to drink more.

This brings in the health benefits- and the problems, due to alcohol. Numerous studies have been conducted on wine and health, particularly heart. There is a general consensus that two glasses a day for men and one a day for women is very healthy and does not have any bad effects.

How do we measure the standard glass? 5-glasses to a bottle or 6-glasses to a bottle? 30 ml of whisky, 45 ml, or 60 ml? The standard has to take into consideration the alcoholic potency in the drink, be it wine whisky or vodka. A consumption of 12 gms of alcohol is considered a standard drink.

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