It’s a little known fact that the world’s largest wine producer, E. J.Gallo, built their empire off the success of their white wine called Thunderbird. The wine was originally designed to appeal to a young market and has now garnered cult status as a “bum wine.”
White Wine Alcohol Content
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Wine
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ABV
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South African Chenin Blanc
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High; 13.5 to 14.5 percent
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French Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise (fortified)
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Very High; more than 14.5 percent
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Portuguese Madeira (fortified)
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Very High; more than 14.5 percent
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Spanish Sherry (fortified)
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Very High; more than 14.5 percent
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The Lightest to the Strongest Wine
Why was Thunderbird such a success? Well, simply put it has 20% alcohol by volume (ABV). Let’s take a look at alcohol levels are in wine from the lightest to the strongest. Truth be told, alcohol content in wine ranges wildly from as low as 5.5% to 23% ABV. There are several factors that affect the alcohol content of wine including the style of wine, quality level, and climate where the grapes grow.
The rule of thumb is that a glass of wine is worth one standard drink and women get one of these a night and men get two. However, this makes the assumption that the wine is only 12% ABV. So if you’re drinking a high-alcohol wine like Port or Thunderbird (at 20% ABV), the recommended serving size is about half. Yep, sometimes it’s better to get a lower alcohol wine, especially if you love to drink.
You can drink more light-alcohol wine with the same effect as one glass of high-alcohol wine.
Under the 10% ABV level, most wines will be light in body and sweet. German Kabinett Riesling (at 8% ABV) and Italian Moscato d’Asti (at 5.5% ABV) are typical examples of light-alcohol wines.
The reason why these wines tend to be sweet is from the leftover grape sugar in the wine after the desired alcohol-level is reached. Leftover sweetness in wine is called residual sugar (RS) and comes from the sweetness of grapes at harvest time.
- Moscato d’Asti 5.5% ABV (lightly sparkling sweet white from Italy)
- Brachetto d’Acqui 6.5% ABV (lightly sparkling sweet red from Italy)
- Kabinett Riesling 8% ABV (light sweet German Riesling)
- Spätlese Riesling 8.5% ABV (rich sweet German Riesling)
- Alsace Blanc 9%–10% ABV (France)
- Muscadet 9.5% ABV (France)
NOTE: Looking for low alcohol, low calorie dry wines? Read this
Wines ranging from 10–11.5% ABV are usually produced when less-sweet grapes are used to make wine. It’s pretty common to see white wines with medium-low alcohol from cooler climate regions like France, Northern Italy and Germany.
There are also several sparkling wines in this alcohol content category because the wine producers pick the grapes a little earlier in the season to insure that the wines stay zesty with higher acidity to compliment the bubbles.
- Muscadet (France)
- Touraine and Cheverny (Sauvignon Blanc from Loire, France)
- Lambrusco (Italy)
- Soave (Italy)
- Gavi (an Italian wine region that produces white wines with Cortese grapes.)
- Pinot Grigio (Italy)
- Grüner Veltliner (Austria)
If you live in the US, you might believe that these numbers seem a little low, but for the rest of the world 11.5%–13.5% ABV is the average. In fact, the US standard serving of wine is a glass (5 oz) of medium alcohol-content wine.
Most European wines will be in this range, as well as American bargain wines.
TIP: The higher the alcohol, the bolder and richer the wine will taste.
This is the average range of dry American wines and other warm climate growing regions including Argentina, Australia, Spain and Southern Italy. Regions with warmer climates will produce sweeter grapes which in turn increases the potential alcohol content of the wine.
High alcohol wines are made one of two possible ways: naturally or with fortification. Fortified wine is when a neutral spirit (usually a distilled grape brandy) is added to wine to increase the alcohol content.
The original purpose for fortifying wine was to preserve the flavor of wines during the age of exploration. High alcohol dessert wines like Port, Marsala, Madeira and Sherry are commonly fortified and so are aromatized wines (aka vermouth).
It’s more rare to find a natural high alcohol wine, but they do exist, thanks to science!
TIP: A wine that is described as “hot” means it has high alcohol content..
Red or White Wine: Which Has More Sulfites?
FAQ
What white wine has the highest alcohol?
What is the strongest white wine percentage?
What wine has 20% alcohol?
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California Zinfandel
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15-16% ABV
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Sherry
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15-20% ABV
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Port
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16-20% ABV
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Madeira
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~20% ABV
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Marsala
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~20% ABV
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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.
How much fat is present in red and white wine?
Wine is, generically, an alcoholic beverage produced by fermenting grape juice. Wine has no fat, it has caloric density, due to the carbohydrate present.
What is the most popular white wine?
Although a plethora of white grapes dominate global viticulture, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling are generally the most popular and well-recognized varieties. What is the ideal temperature to store white wine?
What is the alcohol content of white wine?
White wine has an average alcohol content of 10%. But, it can range from as low as 8% to as high as 20%. So, whether you prefer a light fruity tipple or a high alcohol wine, you’re sure to find a bottle to suit your taste and preferred ABV. Explore some of the best wines by ABV, and their alcohol content .