Weve all heard it before: A glass of wine a day can be good for your health. But you might be wondering, how much alcohol is in that glass of wine? American guidelines set the standard serving of wine as 5 ounces, which has about 12% alcohol. But since there are so many different types of wine, not all glasses are created equal.
If you’re enjoying wine with higher alcohol by volume (ABV), then your single serving will be smaller. Conversely, if youre sipping on something thats quite low in alcohol, a more generous pour would equal one serving.
To help you understand the highs and lows of alcohol content of wine were giving you a brief breakdown of how alcohol levels are determined in the winemaking process, plus well take you through which wines have lower alcohol content and which ones have higher alcohol content. Well also talk a bit about how the amount of alcohol can affect the taste of wine along with some delicious ideas for food pairings based on alcohol levels.
Here are some of the strongest wines you can stack up for your next party:Zinfandel. Zinfandel has an alcohol content of around 14-15.5% ABV. … Shiraz. Shiraz (the Australian name for Syrah wine) is a full-bodied red wine with a plush tannin mouthfeel and 14-15% ABV. … Chardonnay. … Muscat. … Sherry. … Marsala. … Port. … Madeira.
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Zinfandel. Zinfandel has an alcohol content of around 14-15.5% ABV. …
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Shiraz. Shiraz (the Australian name for Syrah wine) is a full-bodied red wine with a plush tannin mouthfeel and 14-15% ABV. …
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Chardonnay. …
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Muscat. …
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Sherry. …
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Marsala. …
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Port. …
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Madeira.
High-Alcohol Wines: 15% ABV or Higher
Boasting the highest alcohol content, these wines are the booziest of the bunch. As youll notice, many of these come from warmer climates such as Australia, California, and Chile, where grapes get plenty of sugar-making sunshine. Plus, a good deal of them are fortified wines, which are boosted with a distilled spirit.
- Australian Cabernet Sauvignon
- Australian Shiraz
- California Cabernet Sauvignon
- California Syrah
- California Zinfandel
- Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon
- Fortified wines (Sicilian Marsala, Spanish Sherry, Portuguese Madeira, French Muscat)
- Merlot from Australia, California, or Chile
Another factor that contributes to the alcohol content of wine is the type of yeast used in fermentation. Certain yeast strains can tolerate higher alcohol levels, allowing fermentation to continue for longer and leading to a higher ABV. However, its worth noting that while high-alcohol wines might pack a punch, they are not necessarily superior in taste or quality to lower-alcohol wines. It all comes down to personal preference.
Understanding Wine ABV from Lowest to Highest
Depending on who you ask, wine ABV can be broken into several categories with varying thresholds. Some will argue for four or more categories ranging from low to very high.
We find that overly complicated. Instead, weve taken a broader approach to these imaginary limits to keep things practical and easy to understand. (Like you, we dont do well with fussy. Its just not our style.)
As with most things in life, there are always exceptions to the rules. The numbers we use here are general assessments of the alcohol content in different wines. As such, be sure to check the ABV percentage on the wine label to confirm how much alcohol you’re actually drinking. We also included the winegrowing regions since local climate plays a role in alcohol levels.
This is the Difference Between Being Wine Drunk Versus Beer or Liquor Drunk
FAQ
What type of wine gets you drunk faster?
What wine gets you in the mood?
What is the most drunk wine in the world?
Which wine has the highest alcohol content?
To reiterate: The wine with the highest alcohol content are red and white wines. Rosé tends to hover in the middle, while Moscato and sparkling wine usually have the least. Region and wine quality will have a big say in these percentages, however, and you should always double-check to see if the wine bottle has been fortified.
What are the chances of wine causing a hangover?
The probability that drinking wine will cause a hangover will have to do with the amount you drink if you ate something while drinking, and if you interspersed water in between. To have less hangover, it is recommended to drink slowly, not mix alcohol, and drink water in the middle of a glass of wine.
Can wine make you drunk?
The truth is that yes, wine can make you drunk. But how it gets you there varies depending on your body and what type of wine you drink. Wine has a 12% – 15% ABV (the alcohol content) in most cases but also contains other things like sugars, and it can affect you differently than if you drank other alcohol-based drinks like beer or hard liquor.
Is wine drunk a good thing?
You may hear people describe firsthand experiences of drunkenness very differently, arguing that wine drunk is very different from beer drunk or liquor drunk. One drink causes contentment, they might say, while another causes depression or increased libido. Experts, however, credit this to the placebo effect.