The Pugilistic Dance of Alcohol Levels in Wine:

A Tannic Tango with Nature, the Vintner, and the Winemaker. 

Ever wondered why some types of wine go right to your head while others barely tickle your senses? It's all about the alcohol levels and how they pertain to the grape varietals. ABV is a delicate dance between nature, the vintner, and the winemaker, a tannic tango if you will, that determines whether your wine is a lightweight or a heavyweight champion. But light or heavy, what is important is that your wines are champions regardless of their girth or lack thereof. A little knowledge will set you on the right path to create a Rocky Marciano or Sugar Ray Robinson every time.

Let's start with the sluggers. Reds like Syrah and Petite Sirah are the brawny bruisers of the wine world. They can handle higher alcohol levels, thanks to their thicker skins that produce more tannic wines. They can hack away at the heavy bag, supporting all that extra alcohol without breaking a sweat.

On the other hand, we have the middleweights and lightweights like Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Beaujolais. These wines prefer to keep things light and breezy, opting for a lower Alcohol by Volume (ABV). They're the elegant boxers who can dazzle you with a flurry, but they won’t put you down with one punch. While they have masterful footwork, their lighter bodies just can't handle the extra alcohol without losing their balance and tripping over their own feet.

Of course, there are wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Sangiovese that have a wide range and produce good wines either way. A 12.5% ABV Sangiovese can be a very pleasant table wine while a 14% Brunello can put you down for the count. Regardless, there are still things to consider depending on your sugar levels. A slower slugger better be strong just as a boxer cannot carry extra pounds.

White wines, the wallflowers of the wine world, tend to have lower alcohol levels than reds either way. White grapes ripen less, like the shy kid at the party who prefers to hang back and observe rather than jump into the fray. Even if they did ripen more, white wines do not have tannins, so you do not want your ABV on the high side regardless. Maybe the only exceptions are whites like Chardonnay that are aged in oak barrels. The barrels impart oak flavoring and some tannins which can help balance a stronger wine.

Now, you might be thinking, "So, the type of grape determines the alcohol level, right?" Well, not exactly. While it's true that the climate affects ripeness levels and grapes from warmer climates can reach higher sugar levels (which can lead to higher alcohol levels), it's not all up to Mother Nature.

This is where the vintner, the shepherd of the vineyard, intervenes. Vintners can choose to harvest before peak sugar levels to limit the alcohol content. So, the alcohol levels in any given grape are a combination of the weather and choice.

Once the grapes are harvested, then the winemaker takes the helm. After the grapes are cut from the vine, they are what they are, and a good winemaker is ready to pivot once the analysis is concluded. Depending on the grape, low and high sugar levels can call for different ferments. The goal is always a good balanced wine. Every great fighter knows to adapt to his opponent. Winemakers must do the same. 

Unfortunately, there are consequences of mismatched alcohol levels and wine styles. It's like wearing a tuxedo to a beach party or a swimsuit to a black-tie event – it just doesn't work. Wines that are too tannic without compatible alcohol levels are as unpleasant as biting into a raw lemon. Conversely, high alcohol wines without enough tannins and body burn your palate and lack subtlety.

If you make wine from kits and you are tempted to go light on the water to up your ABV, be mindful about the kind of kit you are making. If you are making a Pinot Noir kit, it is not advisable to push it to 15%. Forget that RC-212 cannot really ferment beyond that but, a Pinot Noir that potent will nullify the subtleties that make Pinot Noir so special. 

This is where ABV can be misleading. You might think, what difference will 1% ABV really make? The answer is quite a lot. A 1% increase actually means an average of 6-8% more alcohol. If that is not registering with you intuitively, remember that ABV is alcohol by fluid volume, not a measurement of the alcohol itself. One percentage point of a 13% ABV wine is 7.69% of the total alcohol. To understand this, just divide 13 by 100. Therefore, a slight increase can lead to a hot mess.

If you are making wine from fresh grapes, you've got to be ready to react depending on the sugar levels and the type of grape. If you're making a Merlot and the sugar levels indicate a final ABV near 14%, you might want to leave the wine on the skins for more time to balance it with higher tannins.

On the other hand, if you have a Petite Sirah that's on the lower side, you might want to take the wine off the skins earlier. The only thing about Petite Sirah that is petite is the actual size of the grape. Hence the name. Other than that, it is a powerhouse with a high skin to juice ratio. If you let a low sugar Petite Sirah get too tannic, you will have a wine that is simultaneously astringent and flabby.

In conclusion, ideal ABV levels can vary based on the type of grape, and at the same time, it's not an exact science either. It is more important that you go forward with the awareness needed to make the right choices with each batch. The intricate dance of alcohol levels in wine is intrinsic to a good bottle. It's a delicate balance between nature, the vintner, the winemaker, the grape, and the climate.  Next time you're sipping on your favorite vino, take a moment to appreciate the journey that brought it to your glass after you have taken off your boxing gloves. Cheers!