What is a ‘hot’ wine?Despite its connotation for things that are trendy, happening and in demand, when applied to wine, the word “hot” is definitely not one that makes winemakers feel warm and fuzzy.
A “hot” wine is one whose alcohol content is over the top. Along with other components of fruitiness, tannin and acidity, alcohol is a necessary part of every great wine, but when it dominates a wine’s impact on the palate, it causes a burning sensation on the tongue, or lips, or on the whole palate. When severe, it can be quite jarring to the unsuspecting wine drinker.
Of all the components that make up a bottle of wine, alcohol is perhaps the one that makes the biggest impact in the final product. Because, by manipulating the amount of alcohol in the wine, a winemaker can give a dry wine an impression of sweetness, or make a thin wine feel more full-bodied.
There are ways in which a wine’s alcohol level can be manipulated – one takes place outside in the vineyard and the other inside the winery.
In the vineyard, grapes that are left longer on the vine before picking, that is, increasing its “hang time,” will naturally develop more sugar. And it’s the sugar inside the grapes that gets converted into alcohol during fermentation. So, if you start fermentation with a high percentage of sugar content in the juice, you end up with more alcohol when the fermentation finishes.
In the past five to ten years, the amount of alcohol in wines has quietly been creeping upwards. Not long ago, the average Chardonnay contained 11.5%-12.5% alcohol, but today it’s quite normal to see 13.0% or more. And the issue is not limited to just Chardonnay. From Fumé Blanc to Zinfandel, the trend is evident in most California wines.
It’s hard to determine if the wine producers are simply responding to consumer demand for more robust wines or acting on a desire to imitate the higher alcohol levels in wines that have been consistently getting highest scores from many respected wine critics and publications. Whichever the reason, the trend is something the wine consumer should be concerned with. However, some wine producers are making an effort to control the growth of high-alcohol wines.
Inside the winery, winemakers who feel that a wine doesn’t necessarily get better with more alcohol take steps to actually reduce the alcohol content in wines that ferment to excessive heights. A mechanical process, called spinning cone technology, can be used to remove a pre-determined amount of alcohol from wine in order to make it more balanced, food-friendly and exhibit more noticeable delicacy and nuance. 

Len Napolitano lives in Central Coast wine country and is certified in wine by the Society of Wine Educators, Wine & Spirits Education Trust, and Chicago Wine School and continually gains knowledge from his frequent contact with California winemakers. More information is on his website, www.wineology.com . Send your questions about wine to: wineologist@earthlink.net or by mail to Len Napolitano in care of Wine Country This Week magazine. Wineology is a registered trademark of Len Napolitano.com