Increasing Alcohol Content

[summa]

Ok, I've been somewhat away from the wine bizz for the last few years, and started back into it not more than two weeks ago.

I've noticed that the alcohol content of california wines has inceased greatly. It used to be hard to find one with more than 13.0-13.5%, now that seems to be the low end of the spectrum, could anyone answer me why?

I could of course understand this for the zins and the rhones, but why merlot?, cab? even chard? Just want a clue as to where this trend came from and where it might be heading.

[This message has been edited by summa (edited 08-02-2001).]

[Bucko]

Danged good question! Too ripe of fruit? Yeast strain? A combo?

Not to my liking either. I have grown very weary of these high alcohol creatures.

Bucko

[summa]

I'm beginning to think it may have more to do with yeast strain? The brix of some wines I checked does not quite account for it, also why do wine makers choose to do this now?

[Thomas]

Yeast cannot create alcohol without sugar (brix) so it isn't the yeast strain, it's the sugar levels.

In Ca. adding sugar to must is a no-no, so those high alcohol wines had to have started with quite ripe grapes. And grapes grown in the south will of course be even higher in sugar, sometimes adversely.

I must reiterate: in Ca. adding sugar is a no-no; do wineries cheat? That's a good question too.

[Innkeeper]

It is the brix the grapes are being picked at. Just a few decimal points can boost sugar and resulting alcohol a bunch. A so far unanswered question is what kind of legs these expensive monsters have. Dan Berger, for one, thinks they will prove to be short lived.

[winoweenie]

HIC! WAY TO GO WINEMAKKERZ. WW

[Botafogo]

And then we can get into the arcane world of centrifuges and reverse osmosis machines. some of these guys take the title wine "maker" a little too literally and I am not just talking about Kendall Jackson and Gallo but Turley and her gang....

I am frankly surprised we haven't seen dry "ice" wines more in line with "Ice" Beer than dessert wines.

Roberto

[summa]

Thank you for the responses so far...

So then the wine "makers" of california are choosing then to harvest their grapes later and later? Again any clue as to why they are choosing to do this?

I realize chaptalization is illegal in CA, interesting question as to how closely this is followed, given the american palate.

[winoweenie]

Summa, I think you're looking for something unethical where non exists. All of the winemakers I know would never, under any circumstance, jeopardise their bond to add sugar ( chaptailize) to thier wines to increase the alcohol level. This is done routinely in France and there have been far more cases uncovered of fraudulent practices in France than in the good ole' USofA. Our climate makes for good grape-growing conditions almosy yearly. Critisize the greedy lil' buggers for their pricing practices( which they learned from the French) but don' put a blanket question on their ethics. WW

[summa]

Fair 'nough WW Climate can more than explain it...Just still wondering Why they choose to make these "monsters", as someone else addressed them?

Is it simply a realization that their climate is a bit different from france's historical regions, and they want to develop their own style?

I'd not really meant to get into a question of ethics, though rereading my post I can see where it might not seem that way. =D

[Drew]

Marketing = American tastes....or visa versa.

Drew

[Botafogo]

Summa, for a (really) graphic exposition of the American predeliciton for excess versus elegance and naturalness, go to your local Independent Video Store (not Blockbuster) and rent three "adult" movies, one American (full of peroxide blondes with tattooes and piercings and rediculous chest implants, representing the Power Zin Faction) and one European (say from Private Productions, full of impossibly elegant runway model types from northern and eastern europe, all natural and each more beautiful than the next, representing French wines) and one Brasilian (the girls are lean mean loving machines but many are not actually pretty so they more than make up for it with passion for the matter at hand, those would be the Italian wines). 'Nuff said!

So, in my youth I ran a Video Store, ducking, Roberto

[This message has been edited by Botafogo (edited 08-02-2001).]

[Botafogo]

Has our post counter kicked the bucket? On this thread I see Summa has five posts with "9" as the number of posts. Mine seems stuck at 483....

[winoweenie]

Boto,The counter probably got distracted visualizing the lil' Brazialian beauty and forgot it's function. WW

[summa]

Boto...A very interesting...But true analogy I think, Thanks for all your help All.