Without going into details of how to calculate, it is safe to assume that the third of a bottle of wine each, having 12% alcohol is a safe level where you enjoy the positive effects of wine but there is no damage to liver, kidneys etc.

Now consider drinking wine with a potency of 15%. An additional volume of 3% means that you are consuming 25% extra alcohol. At 16%, you are a whopping 33% overweight. You may think you are sticking to the healthy 2 glasses. But, you are overstepping the wine doctor's recommendation by 33%!

Fortunately, there has been some movement globally to raise a voice against the alcoholisation of wines , especially in the new world. In the old world Spain is the leader in producing wines of 14.5-15% or even more. Of course Italian Amarones have 15-16.5% due to their using dried grapes with higher sugar content and when they make dry Amarone, the alcohol level is at its monstrous worst. (However, in the case of good Amarones, it is well integrated and has good harmony and one can choose to drink less of the fabulous wine- it is not an everyday quaff, anyway).

'In India, we are at the borderline. Most wines fluctuate between 13-14%, at least the labels so indicate. This is also the reason why the grapes which are over-ripe due to the summer heat give more sweetness to the wines and less acidity. But with temperatures going up gradually, winemakers will need to have a bigger responsibility to keep the alcohol levels under check, especially the Zins and Cabernets.

Going back to the Ambassador's residence that night, it was good to taste the ten, knowing that the wines were full of healthy grape, Tannat and that the alcohol level was under check - even their Bordeaux style blend with their signature grape. That they are as or more reasonably priced than the Chilean or Argentine counterpart, might even give them an edge for those who appreciate the concept of good balance, structure and the flavour in wine.

Subhash Arora
August 11, 2007

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