It has
always been tricky to navigate around the subject of alcohol level. The risk of
just another trench warfare discussion about numbers has always been present. Such
a debate will always try to set a threshold number what’s acceptable and take
it from there. The discussion is in addition a one-way thread – focussing only
on high numbers or have you ever heard anyone wanting more alcohol is their
Moscato d’Asti or German Spätlese?
Picking
wines from a %-level is like label checking a piece of clothes and not buying
it because it wasn’t the right brand. Snobbery at worst – maybe even prejudices,
dogmatic and sacred will often be the first reaction towards those who didn’t
focus what was actually “inside”.
But what
does balance actually mean?
It means
that high alcohol wines can work and you will see taster’s saying that no burning
or heat was felt. So end of discussion – or? In my opinion the balance argument
is flawed because it’s just another individual opinion and not a very complex
parameter.
“The wine
worked for you – but it didn’t work for me”.
Temperature
is also critical for high alcoholic wines and the overall drinking pleasure. I
don’t know about you, but some years ago every wine concluding argument in my
own backyard was always related to some pompous tasting event. The event was a
race with points, notes, ridiculous amount of bottles and blue teeth. Nowadays
I see a far more diverse landscape, where we have shifted from tasting wine at
these tastings events, to drinking wine at home. This has changed the concept
of “balance” for me. A good wine has to provide drinking pleasure – not matter
what. The criteria for success are quite simple; the next sip just has to be
better and better. Often such wines are characterized by you wish there was
more left in the bottle when you have finished it.
So how did
this start?
Well it all
started quite innocent by falling in love with cool tempered wines. It was a
desire for finesse and not power. Red Burgundy was one of the first discoveries
for me, but financial wines I felt myself a bit distant from these expensive offerings.
So I discovered German Spätlese, but despite providing great finesse I found it
difficult to use these wines with everyday food. Next on my route was Champagne
and today my greatest love affair. Champagne is a phenomenal drink. Incredible
with food, great finesse and always ranged between 12% <> 13% alcohol.
From there I have taken a big journey into natural wine. Natural wine have
learned me a great deal about my perception of wine and really rocked my
boat. One of the many things I can
take out of this journey, have been how low alcohol wines have proved to be a
key element to drinking pleasure. It’s interesting to see how your taste buds
starts to reform when you have so many low alcohol wines and I can’t help to
compare it with how I saw the same pattern some 6-7 years ago when I started to
drink Non dosage Champagne. When first addicted – some “Brut” Champagnes was
suddenly appalling sweet. The same side affect has happened again, as I am now
far more sensitive against high alcohol wines.
And I am
not alone. Everyone of those I has shared wine with over the past 10-15 years
are moving in the same direction.
So today –
when I buy wines – yes admitted, I “label check”. What’s the alcohol
level? Above 14,5% and it’s 95% a
no go. I can make a few exceptions when especially referring to a Barolo. They
are often in this high end, but somehow they can balance at this point. But I
need food with Barolo – I can’t just drink them alone…and it doesn’t really
hurt when I think of a beautiful risotto and Barolo
But overall
I prefer wines in the range of 11% <> 13% and 90% of the wines I drink
are in this range.
I think low
alcohol wines are “the new black”. It will be more than a trend, because when
you have first learned to appreciate the light weighted finesse of these wines,
you want more and you will never ever go back to heavy dull and clumsy
blockbuster wine.
What do you
think?
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