Here's How Much Alcohol Is in Wine, From Lowest to Highest

The alcohol content in wine varies by type and brand. Knowing how much alcohol is in each wine bottle can be beneficial for estimating the wine's flavor profile and, of course, tracking how much alcohol you're consuming. It can also help you know how long your wine will last so you can store wine appropriately.

We talked to Marnie Old, former director of wine studies at the French Culinary Institute in New York City and co-author of He Said Beer, She Said Wine ($15, amazon.com). Marnie helped us understand more about the potency of various wines. Here's a guide to wines with very low, moderately low, high, and very high alcohol content. Cheers to whatever style suits you!

What Is ABV?

The degree of alcohol in any given glass of wine is equivalent to its percentage by volume and is often referred to as "ABV" (or alcohol by volume). Alcohol levels in wine are directly correlated with the amount of sugar that developed in the grapes at harvest time: the higher the sugar levels, the higher the potential alcohol.

Higher sugar levels don't mean that higher-alcohol wines are sweeter, though sometimes this is the case. Rather, yeast consumes the sugar and converts it into alcohol during fermentation.

Key Factors

There are a few key factors in determining both the sugar content of the grapes and the amount of alcohol in your bottle.

• The style (or varietal) of wine
• The climate where the grapes were grown
• The winemaking/fermentation process

The average glass of wine contains about 11 percent to 13 percent alcohol, but bottles range from as little as 5.5 percent ABV to as much as around 20 percent ABV. When tasting wine, you'll notice alcohol comes through as heat in the back of your mouth or throat. A higher ABV wine will taste warmer and bolder, almost like a slight burning sensation on your palate.

Increased Wine Alcohol Content

According to experts, the alcohol content of wine has spiked considerably over the years. "There's pressure on winemakers from critics for intense flavors, and that means riper grapes," explains Old. "So during the past few years, winemakers have been leaving grapes on the vines well after they would typically be picked, [translating] into fuller-bodied wines and more alcohol."

Thanks to scientific advances in farming, it's now less risky to postpone a harvest. Warmer climates also play a role, so a riesling from California will be much more potent than a traditional one from a cooler region, like Germany.

Sparkling Wine Alcohol Content

Fizzing with bubbles, sparkling wine refers to any carbonated wine. Though Champagne is probably the most popular, sparkling wine can be white, red, or rosé.

Rosé Wine Alcohol Content

Right in between red and white wine, rosé wine is pink in color. Instead of fermenting for weeks with red grape skins, rosé wine comes into contact with the grape skins for a few hours, giving it a lighter hue.

White Wine Alcohol Content

Made with white grapes, white wine is not fermented with grape skins. By removing the skins before the fermentation process, less color is transferred to the wine.

Red Wine Alcohol Content

Unlike white wine, red wine is made with dark-colored grapes, such as red or black. The skin and seeds are left in during fermentation, providing red wine its rich color.