The Tricky Subject of Printing Alcohol Levels

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Whether it's printed on the label or in a wine review after a lab test, it may not always be right. How would you use the information?

Posted: Apr 25, 2011 4:41pm ET

I've been discussing the merits of alcohol levels in tasting notes for some time.

Some publications are starting to print alcohol levels with reviews or recommendations. There are two big questions surrounding this decision. How would you, the consumer, use that information? And would it influence your buying decisions?

In some circles, the debate about alcohol levels is cut-and-dry: The 14 percent or lower alcohol level is acceptable; more than 14.5 percent might be excessive.

Those who argue that alcohol levels have risen too high in recent years, however, also seem to be the same people opposed to what they call excessive ripeness. By law, a wine with more than 14 percent alcohol is considered a dessert wine, and taxed at a higher rate. Those under 14 percent are officially table wines, which most of us consider the dry wines we drink to be, irrespective of the number on the label.

For critics and publications who conduct blind tastings, the alcohol level isn’t a consideration—just as price and case volume aren't—unless the taster thinks the alcohol isn't in balance with the wine.

It’s certainly easy enough to criticize a wine as being alcoholic if you use the information printed on the label. But printed alcohol levels are usually not what a wine’s true alcohol level is. Federal laws allow wines with 14 percent or more alcohol a 1 percent leeway (for wines under 14 percent alcohol, the leeway is an even broader 1.5 percent, but that number cannot exceed the 14 percent cutoff).

So why not, as wine reviewers, give consumers the best available information, even if it's only an estimate?

The main reason not to print alcohol levels is that they can be misleading and inaccurate. Independent lab tests have found that the true alcohol level in a particular wine often varies significantly from the level printed on the label.

Consumers will have to realize that the information is legally allowed to vary, and generally does. Publishing the level of alcohol printed on the label can give a false impression of precision and must be viewed with a significant grain of salt.

As I’ve written before, I’d rather know more about a wine than less. Printing alcohol levels might encourage wineries to be more accurate on their labels, although many vintners say that alcohol levels can and do change in the bottle, and that further testing would add another layer of compliance and likely add to the cost of making a wine. Plus, changing the label costs money, so some producers keep the same alcohol percentage on it as long as their wine is within the legal limit.

I'm curious about your thoughts on this subject. Would you like to see alcohol levels listed in wine reviews? And if so, how would that affect your purchases?

Member comments 36 comment(s)

Aaron Meeker — Kansas City, KS — April 25, 2011 7:10pm ET

James,

There are only a few regions where I believe alcohol is of importance in a tasting note, and even then I don't believe it's as importent as pH.

Domestic Pinot and Chardonnay are it for me. The styles of the wines tend to change variably with alcohol. Napa Cabernet? If it's not at least 14.5 I'm always surprised. Pinot Noir at 13.5 or 15 is a much bigger difference.

William Thomen — San Francisco — April 25, 2011 7:18pm ET

I'm all for putting alcohol levels in wine reviews if it will provide those who care about the alcohol level in a wine the extra information they need to make an informed decision. As for me, I'm personally indifferent to alcohol levels - its all about how a wine tastes.

Bill

Roger Gentile — columbus ohio — April 25, 2011 7:37pm ET

I have no idea who Aaron Meeker is, but I totally agree with him, so he must be quite bright. I would as well add the same for Aussie reds, as those which are ripe, corpulent, and thick as an elephants butt are just too heady with alcohol, and make enjoyment of a wine too difficult with all that ponderous mouth coating character, at least after the first glass. I want to know the alcohol level, and when I do wine events, I always note them because they help indicate what one can expect.

Anthony Gizzi — Waxhaw, NC, USA — April 25, 2011 8:22pm ET

It's funny, the only time I care about the alcohol level is when tasting the wine for the first time. If the alcohol hits hard I run around the house to find my reading glasses and go on the scavenger hunt to find the level on the label(most of the time in tiny print)! I guess what i'm saying is the alcohol only matters when it's noticed.

Andrew J Walter — Sacramento, CA — April 25, 2011 9:01pm ET

Reference Adam Lees response to Matt Kramers recent blog RE: printed ETOH labels. Given that changing label information (other than vintage date) costs money, many winemakers put a legally acceptable ball park range of ETOH on their wines and then reuse the label over and over, In addition, the common tests used to determine ETOH are not super accurate (hence the wide legal range). Thus, I would not (do not) use printed ETOH levels (on the label or in a tasting note, to guide my decision process.

Michael Myette — Sacramento, CA USA — April 25, 2011 9:33pm ET

I agree with Andrew. The information doesn't add to the tasting note.

Karl Mark — Geneva, IL. — April 25, 2011 10:05pm ET

It's one thing if I can taste the wine myself(as in a tasting room), but when I'm reading tasting notes from the professionals they tend to all sound the same and in that case I do watch out for the alcohol level in the wine. Not always, but most of the time I avoid wines over 14.5% alcohol. The number doesn't have to be perfect. I don't expect gas mileage to be accurate to the 3rd decimal when purchasing a car, but the number on the sticker does give you a basic understanding of the fuel economy.

Robert Lapolla — san diego, CA USA — April 25, 2011 10:18pm ET

i want full nutritional information on the bottles - calories, sodium, carbohydrate, protein, fat and alcohol. why not? its on practically every other food and beverage. i dont think it has to be in wine reviews.

Harvey Steiman — San Francisco, CA — April 25, 2011 10:53pm ET

Let's be clear about how much of a difference we are talking about. A 3-ounce glass of 14 percent alcohol wine contains the same amount of alcohol as a 2.85-ounce glass of 15 percent alcohol wine. In terms of gas mileage, a nice analogy offered by Karl, that is like the difference between a car that gets 30 mpg and one that gets 28.5. (This is according to the Australian requirement to label every bottle of wine with how many legally defined standard drinks it contains.)

Under U.S. law, the labels on both wines could say exactly the same for alcohol content. So tell me again, how does reporting the label's alcohol content help us choose a wine?

For me, what matters is how well the alcohol balances with the other elements in the wine.

Brett R Turner — Hawthorn Woods, IL — April 26, 2011 12:01am ET

James,

How come Wine Spectator doesn't include alcohol levels in its reviews? I've always considered it equal in importance to other pieces of information provided.

Stuart Smith — St. Helena CA USA — April 26, 2011 1:51am ET

Jim,

I enjoyed your post and agree with much that you say about high alcoholic wines, however, the real issue for me isn’t the alcohol level per se, it is the ripeness of the fruit when harvested. IMO wines with high alcohol mostly come from grapes harvested at 28 to 30 + degrees Brix, require water and acid additions and result in wines that are boring, simple and short lived. Yes, those intense jammy, fruit forward wines can be very seductive in the beginning, but once you hone in on the overripe flavors of prunes and raisins, the wines become simple and boring. Additionally, the chemistry from these overripe grapes is so messed up that the wines will be short lived with no staying power. Unfortunately, high scores for these wines are misguided and are leading to a sameness in winemaking that is boring and antithetical to all the qualities which define great wine.

Stu Smith
Smith-Madrone

Aaron Meeker — Kansas City, KS — April 26, 2011 8:40am ET

Stu Smith - well put!!! Since 2003 the amount of "watered back wine" seems to be rampant.

Harvey - while technically correct in your point of total alcohol, the 1.5% difference between a 14.5 stated but actual of 16% on a Barossa Shiraz, Washington Meritage or even Châteauneuf-du-Pape is far less of a "style affecting" difference than a red Burgundy, Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay, or Sonoma Coast Syrah that is listed at 12.5% but in actuality is 14%.

Mary Jane Phillips — Farmington Hills, MI — April 26, 2011 10:48am ET

Does France have the same leeway in the alcohol percentages on their labels? Do the lower alc. levels contribute to a wine's aging potential? I checked some older bottles of Bordeaux in my cellar and most are 12.5, highest is 13%. These are late 80s and early 90s and are still drinking extremely well.

Chris Turner — fresno, ca. — April 26, 2011 10:52am ET

would actually prefer the disclosure of manipulation. such as acidulation or dosong with mega-purple.

Harvey Steiman — San Francisco, CA — April 26, 2011 11:01am ET

Aaron, I agree that an elevated alcohol content can affect a more delicate style of wine more. My point is that the label is at best a very rough guide, often misleading.

Joseph Kane — Austin — April 26, 2011 11:51am ET

Please place the percentage in tasting notes. You taste wine blind so we don't have to. We take notes that sound appealing, and/or scores that indicate quality and make purchasing decisions based on the information at hand, and our personal tastes.

Alcohol can play an important factor in wine style, as it generally indicates riper fruit, lower acidity (with exceptions), etc. In addition, even a 1% wiggle can tell you what you need to know. A 2004 Aquilon, listed at 16.5% abv is no less than 15.5% abv, and may be as high as 17.5%, which is more likely. In many states, alcohol in excess of 18% qualifies as a fortified spirit, and may only be sold in liquor stores, as opposed to grocery stores, wine shops, etc. (think Texas). If a winery is going to list 16.5% or 17%, they may be under shooting considering the general public's lack of gumption for high alcohol wines, and the potential costs and hurdles related to high alcohol wines.

Even if a high alcohol wine is in balance, it may not be a style of wine that a consumer enjoys. Moreover, it is guaranteed to affect the drinking regardless of whether it is immediately noticeable. The gentleman who said that alcohol % is immaterial unless noticeable could not be further from the truth. That alcohol will take its toll on your palate, and sobriety, regardless of whether you can tell it is there. Most consumers on this website enjoy wine as a complex drink, not primarily as a source of inebriation.

The additional warning can help the consumer avoid later disappointment. Some of the best, most balanced high alcohol wines that I have had, whether CDPs or Australian Shiraz, or increasingly 15.5% Cali cabs, still come with a cost. Palate fatigue, inebriation, and a diminishing ability to taste, appreciate, and pick apart wines. I think that palate fatigue is a serious concern when repeatedly tasting high alcohol wines. I tasted through the entire Chris Ringland Chateau Chateau grenache portfolio, which includes wines in the 17-18% abv range, and by the end my palate was becoming shoddy. And I was spitting.

If you warn consumers when wine is acidic or tannic, why not let us know when wine is also high in alcohol. Regardless of the wine's balance, the alcohol is going to hit home. And hard too. Best to be prepared.

Harvey Steiman — San Francisco, CA — April 26, 2011 12:11pm ET

Mary Jane, the label on a bottle sold in the U.S. must conform to U.S. law (just as labels on bottles sold in Europe must adhere to theirs). So yes, the French labels from the 1980s with alcohol levels of 12.5 or 13 percent have the same 1.5 percent leeway. In many cases, those numbers were chosen so they could be used year after year and be within the legal range, not to reflect actual alcohol levels. (This is why Bordeaux and Burgundy typically use a separate neck label to indicate the vintage date.)

Adam Lee — Santa Rosa, CA — April 26, 2011 12:14pm ET

Jim,

I am in favor of you letting us know when the alcohol is too high in a wine, using the same methodology you use to determine whether or not the acid is too high or too low in a wine, or the tannins too high or too low in a wine, or the oak too high.....by tasting the wine and relating that to us in your notes.

I think singling out one element for print places an undue emphasis on that element.

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

Tracy Hall — Sonoma, CA — April 26, 2011 12:32pm ET

With regard to Adam Lee's comment about changing label information being costly, in two publications. (sorry Adam, but you should know this, and I know I commented on a post about the same thing a year ago during the last alc% label debate)

So I'm pretty sure Adam's information was why Jim said:

"Plus, changing the label costs money, so some producers keep the same alcohol percentage on it as long as their wine is within the legal limit."

You can change a lot more than you'd think on a label without having to get a new label approval. All you have to do is read the back of the form you have to fill out to get a label approval.

http://www.ttb.gov/forms/f510031.pdf

So, no, it's not costly, actually there is no cost. Most wineries print a new label for the new vintage, so put the new alc% on there at the same time - no approval needed. (With regard to further testing. What further testing? Wineries know the alc% of the wine before they bottle)

You can change Vintage, and you can change ALC% on an approved label, WITHOUT having to get a new approval.

As long as the change of alc% doesn't change tax class, (come on this is a NO BRAINER) you can change it without a new label approval.

Two tax classes:
14.0 and below
and above 14.0

If you have a label approval for 14.1, then you can change the alc% on your label (without having to get a new approval) to anything higher than 14.1.

If one year that wine is 13.9%, that is a different tax class, you need a new label approval for that.

But after that, you are good to go year after year after year, you have two label approvals covering both tax classes. Put whatever alc% you want on the label without having ever to get another label approval again.

Tracy

Adam Lee — Santa Rosa, CA — April 26, 2011 12:51pm ET

Tracy,

Thanks for the post. As you pointed out, the cost isn't federal label approvals....but state label approvals. We have to submit our labels to numerous states as well...and several states consider alcohol changes to be a change that require new label registrations (other states require new registrations with each vintage), and others don't require label registration.

There is a cost with those state label registrations.

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

Tracy Hall — Sonoma, CA — April 26, 2011 1:45pm ET

Adam,

Luckily there aren't many of those states left...as most have changed their rules to say you only need to submit if there is a change to the Federal Cola.

Only ones I can think of are the states you have to register every year anyway.

Am I missing any?

Tracy

Adam Lee — Santa Rosa, CA — April 26, 2011 2:25pm ET

Tracy,

I am simply following what my compliance company tells me about "material changes" to the labels. I am unfortunate enough to have federally approved labels rejected in Alabama.

And, of course, I am talking about registrations for both wholesale and direct sales in the various states.

I am on Spring Break this week but can reach out to my compliance company and get you a list when I return next week, if you wish. My email is adam@siduri.com if you want this.

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

John Svymbersky — Elgin, Illinois — April 26, 2011 6:30pm ET

Alcohol content may give one an indication of the level of sweetness, especially for some of the typically sweeter wines from Germany or Piemonte.

Adam Lee — Santa Rosa, CA — April 26, 2011 6:33pm ET

Tracy,

I got a list from my Compliance Company for both direct sales and wholesale sales by state and would be happy to forward those on to you.

Adam Lee
Siduri Wines

Jim Mcclure — DFW, Texas — April 26, 2011 7:00pm ET

Like others have said, alcohol levels don't matter to me unless they are noticed, as in the wine is out of balance. That is something I would expect to see in the note. Other than that, it really doesn't matter.

Rather than print the levels in the tasting notes, particularly in the magazine where space is more precious, would it be feasible to provide a link in the online tasting notes to either the winery page, or better yet a spec sheet on the individual bottling like many wineries provide? Granted, this would be based on such an online sheet being available, which is and would be up to the winery to furnish, not WS.

This way lots of potentially desirable information would be available to the consumer, they'd just have to make that extra click to see it.

Or, it could be left as is and the curious consumer can seek out the wine's information themselves if it's of such importance to them.

Cheers,
Jim

Karl Mark — Geneva, IL. — April 26, 2011 9:08pm ET

Harvey lets look at it another way. If I compare my blood alcohol after consuming three glasses of wine at a restuarant (6 oz pours)over 3 hours the difference between the 14% and the 15% wine is a BA 0.079 vs 0.087. That small difference can be a HUGE difference under the right, or wrong circumstances. Properly identifying the alcohol content does help me avoid certain wines that I deem too high in alcohol, or at least gives me some additional information with regard to the style in which the wine was made. I have a Quilceda Creek that is over 15% alcohol, and I would have never purchased it had I known. I have since dropped off their mailing list.

Don Rauba — Schaumburg, IL — April 27, 2011 5:04pm ET

Yes, please. I regularly use it when purchasing, specifically when standing with the bottle in my hand. One cannot taste every wine before buying, or even always physically hold it to read it, however. Therefore, we assemble clues with what we have available. The Review, the words in it, are always most important among those clues (thank you, WS reviewers). But that alc % is something I use just as often, usually seeking comparatively higher ones in red wines, to find my preferred styles. Yes, it works for me, every bit as well (and as often) as the words of the review steer me in the right direction. The alc % may be inaccurate, but IMO I believe it also seems to represent the style the winemaker PREFERS to be known for. A producer concerned about alienating an Old World base might skew 0.5 or 1.0% low, within legal limits; the opposite for others. Yes, please publish alcohol levels if only because it is not possible to physically hold every bottle in hand prior to purchase. Lastly, the cases being made for quoting acidity are good ones, appealing for similar reasons.

Jordan Harris — Niagara, Ontario — April 28, 2011 12:19pm ET

Just curious if numbers are so important then how many people would buy a wine with 14.4% alcohol, 3 grams per liter RS, VA around 1.3 g/l, and elevated pH around 3.8.

If these numbers were listed then it seems many people would decide not to buy the wine even with a great rating due to its natural complexity and balance. This wine is the 1947 Cheval Blanc which is arguably the most reknown wine in any of our lives.

Numbers do not equal quality, period. There is so much more that goes into a wines balance then its alcohol, pH and sugar. If you are going to label numbers to get an idea about a wine you will also need to have numberic values of poly-phenols, anthocyanins, TA, Methoxy-Pyrazine and density but you would still not be able to understand the wine because it is a natural product that can find it's own balance. Labelling alcohol is unfair to the consumer and the winery in a review. Many consumers are going to miss truly profound wine experiences and some of the best wines in the world will struggle to sell.

If the reason is do to inebriation, there is a simple solution. Drink less and enjoy the experience of what you have instead of trying to aim at volume.

Joseph Kane — Austin — April 28, 2011 2:48pm ET

To quote the gentleman above: "Just curious if numbers are so important then how many people would buy a wine with 14.4% alcohol, 3 grams per liter RS, VA around 1.3 g/l, and elevated pH around 3.8.

If these numbers were listed then it seems many people would decide not to buy the wine even with a great rating due to its natural complexity and balance. This wine is the 1947 Cheval Blanc which is arguably the most reknown wine in any of our lives."

First, there are countless complaints of bottles of 47 Cheval Blanc that are tainted by high volatile acidity. Second, the wine is an anomaly, especially considering the classic bordeaux style. Third, those numbers, VA aside, are not absurd for a Napa Valley wine, which is much more the profile of the 47 Cheval Blanc than true bordeaux. Those numbers are more aligned with another great bottle that has had issues with VA...1997 Harlan.

Any tasting note on the Cheval Blanc reveals exactly why the alc. % should be disclosed: "What can I say about this mammoth wine that is more like port than dry red table wine? The 1947 Cheval Blanc exhibits such a thick texture it could double as motor oil."

The statistic suggested by the commenter about the Cheval Blanc actually support exactly why that information should be disclosed. Someone looking for a traditional bordeaux (13.0, 3.55) may wish to avoid a "wine that is more like port than dry red table wine." Countless critics have rated similar port-like wines (Molly Dooker) 96-99 points. Just because they are considered "excellent" doesn't mean they match my stylistic preferences in wine.

Inform consumers and let them choose. That is exactly why Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate were created. Don't hide the ball. Inform us to the best of your ability, then let us decide. Do not hide information in order to steer us towards or away from a certain style of wine.

If you think the alcohol is hidden, say, "Abv is 15%, but is hidden by excellent fruit and fresh acidity in this exceptionally well balanced red."

If not, say "Abv of 15% stands out in this hot, overextracted, unctious, glycerin-like wine."

Either way, I want to know so I can make a purchasing decision on my own.

Anthony Dirocco — San Pedro, Ca — April 30, 2011 4:52pm ET

It doesn't make sense to me to reject a wine solely because its alcohol content is above or below a certain level. Although I personally feel that too many of the overripe, high alcohol content wines tend to taste pretty much the same, regardless of varietal, I let alcohol influence what I choose to drink based on the overall balance of the wine. If it tastes hot, and overpowers the other nuances of the wine, the alcohol is out of balance. I've had some French and California roses which were well balanced and beautiful on a hot summer's day, but were in excess of 13% alcohol. I wouldn't have rejected them if I'd checked the label, and felt they were too high in alcohol. I've also had, on the other hand, some wines below 13% which tasted hot and overpowered by alcohol, so for me, it's only important in regard to the overall taste and characteristics of the wine.

Bob Orenstein — Dallas,TX — April 30, 2011 6:21pm ET

In the past 3-4 years I have been acutely aware of the rising level of alcohol and the corresponding ripeness that seems to go with it. After 30 years of collecting wine my personal tastes have gravitated towards the more elegant wines of Bordeaux that have a tendency to display lower alcohol levels on their labels.Younger wine drinks have been introduced to the higher alcohol levels from the very beginning of their introduction into wine and accept this as the norm.Perhaps providing the alcohol levels in reviews would benefit the consumer and producers by encouraging better and hopefully more accurate information. Let’s hope the Wine Spectator leads the way with this issue.

Ian Tarrant — Ontario, Canada — May 1, 2011 1:53pm ET

I liked Adam's comment on including it as part of the flavour profile, however as a practical matter alcohol is a key part of a wine's make-up, and as it is already included in the label, the argument for not highlighting it in a review becomes somewhat moot.

On a personal note, I'm finding more and more that 1 or 2% points makes a difference in my enjoyment (and my wife is keenly aware of it). We like to drink a bottle between us during some weeknight evenings, but are not looking to get plastered - We can share a bottle that is say 13% and no worries, but get to the 14.5%+ level and it gets in the way. On the occasional Saturday evening we'll open 2 bottles, and alcohol becomes even more prevalent when you don't necessarily want it to.

I'm finding that I'm at looking at bottles more and more with this subject in mind - I recently added a couple of bottles of Novy Syrah to my cellar (coincidental that I'm mentioning Adam's label) and the alcohol almost hits 16% and I wonder when and on what occasion will I drink this? (Knowing that I'm sure it's damn tasty).

Cheers,

- Ian

Adam Lee — Santa Rosa, CA — May 2, 2011 8:36am ET

Bob,

The way to encourage to provide more accurate information on the label would be to have the individual states not charge us for changing the alcohol content on the label.

That said (and this goes to your point Ian), please feel free to email me should you ever want to know actual alcohol levels on any of our wines (adam@siduri.com) and I will send you that information along with pH, TA, and any other information you might want. I am interested, Ian, as to which Syrahs of ours you have.

Thanks,

Adam Lee
Siduri and Novy

Ian Tarrant — Ontario, Canada — May 2, 2011 2:27pm ET

Adam,

Interesting you ask - I just grabbed the bottle and it's your standard 'Novy Family Winery Syrah' bottling (2007).

The interesting part is that just below your front label, the LCBO (The Ontario monopoly) has slapped a white sticker about an inch high and inch and a half wide that states '15.7% alc./vol'.

On the back, there is a sticker at the bottom of the label that is an inch high, and about 2 inches wide that states '14.3%' alc./vol'(!) - Even if the Jim's of the world wanted to state the alc. level in their reviews, in this case it would have been very confusing.

At 14.3%, this is closing in on reasonable, at 15.7% it's over the top - Once again, probably very tasty and probably well integrated, but oh so sleep inducing!

Cheers,

- Ian

Adam Lee — Santa Rosa, CA — May 2, 2011 3:06pm ET

Ian,

I don't know about the 15.7% alcohol level sticker --- know that our tests done thru ETS labs here show an actual alcohol of 15.1%.....That's what our tests ended up with. As I mentioned we don't change the label from year to year, but would have definitely changed that one if our blend turned out to be 15.7% so we were in the legal range.

Adam Lee
Siduri and Novy

Joshua Hull — Lancaster, Pennsylvania — June 13, 2011 1:55am ET

With the ability to go 1.5 percent either way, I have to say that I often take the label's ABV with a grain of salt. A wine that has a labeled ABV of 13% could be 11.5%-14.5%. As a lover of Wine Spectator's blind tasting scores, I stick with the scores and tasting notes, and assume that any high scoring wine will not be out of balance in regards to alcohol. If a wine you know to be very good tastes too "hot" then the wine is being consumed too warm or the storage of the wine has degraded other qualities of the wine and brought the alcohol of out balance. Some 20-30 minutes in the fridge does wonders for many of my reds, as my "cellar" is often close to 70 degrees.

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