Of late, certain wines that were earlier available in the market with approximately 12 percent alcohol are now being sold with 14-16.5 percent alcohol. This increase has been credited to the use of very ripe fruit. This helps produce wine, which is richer in flavor. Consequently, the use of ripe fruit ensures that increased alcohol is produced when the grapes are fermented.
You should know that most red wines have a higher alcohol content as compared to white wines. However, this is not an absolute parameter and there are variances. Alcoholic content in wine is dependent upon the ripeness of the fruit. The ripest grapes have the highest sugar content. During fermentation, the sugar content gets converted to alcohol.
Usually, grapes that are used to make red wines are picked when they are riper than those used to make white wine. The sugar content, wine making technique and character of the fruit determine alcoholic percentage. You can check all wine bottle labels to know it’s a wine’s alcohol content. Wine enthusiasts should be aware that all labels are not alcohol and the printed content may either be 1.5% below or above the actual level. This is not an offense as laws permit such flexibility.