High Alcohol Wines due to Global Warming

[Vinfidel]

hello

i am following up on this thread over here since on the montreal board i posted a comment from the local newspaper the wine writer claims that the global rise in high alcohol wines is due to global warming

i.e. global warming = warmer weather = higher sugar content in grapes = higher alcohol wines

this is his thesis

i think this is one of the most ridiculous things i have herd in a long time

any opinions?

[WHT]

hello

i am following up on this thread over here since on the montreal board i posted a comment from the local newspaper the wine writer claims that the global rise in high alcohol wines is due to global warming

i.e. global warming = warmer weather = higher sugar content in grapes = higher alcohol wines

this is his thesis

i think this is one of the most ridiculous things i have herd in a long time

any opinions?

←

While a warmer clement might have an effect on sugar levels it has little to do with alcohol levels. Alcohol content is controlled by the fermentation process. How much yeast is added and how long it is left to ferment. This is controlled by the wine maker not environment.

[docsconz]

The more sugar there is in the original juice, the more there is that can ferment to alcohol, no? If the sugar content is high and the wine maker wishes to ferment it to low residual sugar it is my understanding that the result will be a high alcohol wine, which happens to conform to the Parker style and therefore a high degree of fashionability. While I do not find the idea preposterous, I think the high alcohol content in wines today is more likely related to the desire to produce salable highlyrated highly extracted "fruit bombs".

[raxelita]

Do you attribute France's heat wave of 2003 to be the result of global warming, or a random isolated event? If the former, then you could definitely say that global warming is producing (bigger, extracted) higher alcohol wines. Have you tried some of the 2003 CDP's?

[Vinfidel]

raxelita, yes i have. some were OK but a lot were unbalanced. this is the story of the vintage, mother nature makes the vines the man makes the wines.

but this is not the point. this man in the newspaper here is making the statement that there is a correlation between global warming and high alcohol wines!

i found this a really wild statement for a journalist

the more ripe a wine is for sure the higher the brix the higher the potential alcohol if fermentation is completed. he makes the point that for fermentation to be completed special yeasts need to be used (again not true for so many wines either by AOC or by vintner choose to use vineyard yeasts).

this kind of reckless journalism it makes me crazy!

[WHT]

Just to add in against the argument; wouldn’t all fruit be higher in sugar and not just grapes? I have not noticed that in the peaches, blue berries or any other fruit that I have eaten in the past couple of years. I would think a warming effect would do the same thing to most fruits.

Maybe there is some perceived want to push how high the alcohol content can be pushed? I find that anything north of 14% starts to taste too rough. Maybe they are trying to push the levels for stronger brandies. As to the journalist he may be part of the alarmist set trying to take things to the extreme. With his theory some of us might “like” the idea of global warming.

[carswell]

Pushed by this and the Montreal forum thread, I just bought a copy of The Gazette for the first time in years. Malcolm Anderson's article is not nearly as simplistic as vinfidel would have us believe. Since it's hidden behind a subscriber-only firewall, I'll summarize it here.

MA begins by noting that many wines these days are more potent than in the past. He wonders why so many clock in at 14%, 14.5% and higher, when the norm used to be 12 or 13%.

"The biggest factor is global warming," he then states. Vineyard temperatures are on the rise and this, in turn, is producing riper grapes. Riper grapes mean high sugar levels, as you can easily verify with a bunch of white table grapes: the grapes at the top and outside of the bunch tend to be sweeter than the others, because they are the most exposed to the heat of the sun.

Another issue is indigenous yeasts, he says. Some winemakers decide to kill them off and use cultured yeasts that increase their control of the fermentation process and provide specific characteristics they desire in the wine.

"Normally, the yeast dies when the fermenting juice reaches around 13-per-cent alcohol but these days, with much riper grapes and stronger yeasts, not all the sugar is used up but stays in the wine [...] and makes the wine sweeter than normal." By way of example, he mentions an Alsatian pinot gris he recently tasted that had 14.5% alcohol and tasted richer than usual.

"What are producers doing about this," he wonders. Well, some are gung-ho about it, especially since such wines show well in competitions, making "more restrained wines look and taste wimpy." Some add water, reducing the alcoholic strength but also diluting the flavour. Others use pricey machines and techiniques that remove alcohol, though the practice is forbidden in many jurisdictions.

He suggests that the answer will mainly be found in the vineyard. Irrigation is one culprit, allowing vines to produce ripe grapes instead of growing deep roots in search of water and nourishment. Certain canopy management techniques, like leaf-thinning, are also to blame, since they expose the grapes to more sunlight and heat and increase their sugar levels. Winemakers can also look to other ways of stressing the vines, such as dense planting, to make them "work harder to produce their fruit."

He concludes by noting that, while "global warming appears to be here to stay," few people are making a fuss about high-alcohol wines and suggests that, until they do, few winemakers will feel pressured to change.

The bottom line: Anderson hits most of the relevant points if not always in the most coherent way. He does show a tendency to glibness. And he could be taken to task for his bald assertion that global warming is the biggest factor behind the trend to more potent wines. Certainly, it is a little early to claim it is anything more than one of several factors (grape clones, the so-called "super yeasts," viticultural practices, etc.). But to call the article "reckless journalism" is somewhat reckless itself. IMHO, of course.

[carswell]

While a warmer clement might have an effect on sugar levels it has little to do with alcohol levels. Alcohol content is controlled by the fermentation process. How much yeast is added and how long it is left to ferment. This is controlled by the wine maker not environment.

←

Climate affects grapes' sugar levels. The sugar levels in the must (pressed grape juice) determine, among other things, a wine's potential alcohol. Ergo, climate does have more than a little to do with a wine's alcoholic strength, especially in jurisdictions like California or, in good vintages, Bordeaux where chaptalization (the adding of sugar to the must) is forbidden.

Beyond a minimum threshold, the amount of yeast added is much less important to the wine's alcoholic strength than the type of yeast. Many yeasts cannot tolerate alcohol levels above a fairly low level (e.g. 12.5%). On the other hand, today's super yeasts can thrive up to and beyond alcohol levels of 15%.

he makes the point that for fermentation to be completed special yeasts need to be used (again not true for so many wines either by AOC or by vintner choose to use vineyard yeasts).

←

Oh, come on. What percentage of the new-breed 15% or 16% alc./vol. wines are made with ambient yeasts? The portfolios of Louis/Dressner in the States and Rézin here in Quebec, both of whom specialize in "natural" wines, certainly don't contain many. And one of the reasons traditional European wines rarely clocked in above 13% was because they were made with ambient yeasts. High-alcohol wines are a recent phenomenon in most of Europe and in the main owe their existence to cultured yeasts.

Edited October 30, 2005 by carswell (log)

[Rebel Rose]

While a warmer clement might have an effect on sugar levels it has little to do with alcohol levels. Alcohol content is controlled by the fermentation process. How much yeast is added and how long it is left to ferment. This is controlled by the wine maker not environment.

WHT, I believe this has already been addressed by others here but I thought I would also weigh in as a wine producer to correct this assumption simply because it is a common misconception. Alcohol is indeed determined by the sugar in the grapes at harvest. Sugar is measured in degrees Brix. Divide the degrees by 2 and add 2 and you will have a rough estimate of the final alchohol. (Our zin came in at 23.5 degrees: (23.5/2)+2=roughly 13.75 alc.)

Just to add in against the argument; wouldn’t all fruit be higher in sugar and not just grapes? I have not noticed that in the peaches, blue berries or any other fruit that I have eaten in the past couple of years. I would think a warming effect would do the same thing to most fruits.

Huh. Spoilsport.

Beyond a minimum threshold, the amount of yeast added is much less important to the wine's alcoholic strength than the type of yeast. Many yeasts cannot tolerate alcohol levels above a fairly low level (e.g. 12.5%). On the other hand, today's super yeasts can thrive up to and beyond alcohol levels of 15%.

Yes, the amount of yeast added does not affect the resulting alcohol (except of course that you need about a cup per ton to get it going. The yeasts reproduce, and fermentation depends more on the nutrients (sugar and B vitamins, primarily) available to the yeast, and temperature. They like a warm, nurturing environment. Chilled fermentors or a cold environment will slow the fermentation down. I'll be catching up on the subject of yeasts and fermentation in the wine blog soon . . .

And, back to the possibility of global warming, here's one of the first articles to appear this harvest on the topic of glowarm in Oregon, in Bloomberg:

Hotter-than-normal summers have made for richer vintages with higher alcohol -- similar to wines from California.

Oregon wines from these hotter years have been popular with critics and consumers, many of whom prefer more generous fruit and less acidity. Yet some winemakers say the hot weather threatens to change the character of Oregon pinot noir, considered among the best in the world.

Excessive heat is a problem because it can bake away the pinot noir's delicate berry flavors, says Matt Kramer, 54, a critic for Wine Spectator magazine who lives in Portland. ``It's like a redhead that burns in the sun.''

Kramer's point is dead on. Warmer weather and higher alcohols are not desirable in a classic pinot noir. Other delicate-skinned grapes like sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, nebbiolo (some clones), and riesling also sunburn easily.

But there are other factors at issue as well. The article linked to above also quotes Parker and Rovani, gives some statistics on global warming, and mentions the movie Sideways. Which leads me, sort of, to my next point, involving changing styles in wine, the Mondovino effect, and le palate Parkair. I recently purchased a bottle of Oregon pinot that I was really looking forward to trying because it is a small production and was consistently rated high by Wine Spectator. I was completely taken aback by the deep purple color, smoky nose, and heavy oak. It remotely resembled pinot noir with a healthy dose (probably the legally permissible 25%) of other varieties--I'm guessing cab and syrah. It was, shall we say, varietally incorrect. The alcohol was also fairly high, around 14%, but since syrah is generally a high-alc wine, the addition of syrah to the pinot may have influenced the alcohol level.

All in all, farming and weather patterns go through hot/cold phases. This year it's global warming (again) and during the El Nino/La Nina vintages it was the encroaching ice age (again). The simple fact is, this year spring lasted longer, summer started later, and fall is being pushed back to Christmas. Next thing we know, the prognosticators will be telling us that the accumulation of leap year days has permanently screwed up our calendar and we need to make a 45-day adjustment or we'll be celebrating Christmas during harvest.

[Vinfidel]

i think mary is getting to the point

there is some popular reason for the high alcohol wines, parkair or otherwise

certainly it is not the fault of mother nature!

[jsolomon]

You're sure it's not the frat boy effect? Y'know, people saying, "Even if I don't enjoy the taste, it'll get me drunk/make her clothes fall off"?

There are times when I would prefer a high ABV wine. There are times when I would prefer a very very tasty wine and don't care about the ABV.

What I think is the latest high ABV craze is that there are some very early high ABV wines that scored well and represented their varietal well, and it got out the kind of yeast they used--a high alcohol tolerant one. So, there are a lot of me-too wines out there. Not that this is a bad thing. It is merely a phase.

Besides, with all of the high proof liquor out there, is it something to be horribly worried about?

[=Mark]

"The biggest factor is global warming," he then states. Vineyard temperatures are on the rise and this, in turn, is producing riper grapes.

←

Globhal warming produces riper grapes? Hmm, I always thought vintners picked their grapes according to how ripe they were. This article implies that the harvest is done on the same day every year, and that in warm years the grapes will be riper on the designated "Harvest day." I don't believe that's how it works...

Using one of the tenants of faith professed by followers of the Flying Spagetti Monster I'd have to say the increase in the alcohol of wines is inversely proportional to the number of living, swashbuckling pirates in the world...

[JohnL]

hello

i am following up on this thread over here since on the montreal board i posted a comment from the local newspaper the wine writer claims that the global rise in high alcohol wines is due to global warming

i.e. global warming = warmer weather = higher sugar content in grapes = higher alcohol wines

this is his thesis

i think this is one of the most ridiculous things i have herd in a long time

any opinions?

←

Since you do not provide the original article, I wonder what additional evidence the writer provides in support of what seems to be a simplistic (and possibly erroneous) conclusion.

First, the premise. What exactly is meant by the "global rise in high alcohol wines?" Compared to what?

What does he mean by "High alcohol" wines? Which wines?

If high alcohol in wines is the result of a trend then I would love to see that trend supported with some specific evidence.

I agree with you that, on face value, this is pretty rediculous.

As for "global warming" I would remind all that thirty to forty years ago the conventional wisdom was "global cooling" the "big freeze" if you will.

Getting grapes that are ripe enough to make wine is, in fact, quite difficult, we are dealing with mother nature and weather. It is no small consequence that grapes (especially black/red grapes) that do not achieve optimum ripeness will produce wines that are acidic, thin and possessing of "unripe" flavors. Thus, for centuries winemakers have been battling mother nature when she does not cooperate--ie chaptalization, as well as blending in wine from ripe grapes.

It should be pointed out that too warm a climate and over ripe grapes are not so good either.

Certain grape varietals "prefer" different climates. Thus, pinot noir planted on the floor of Napa Valley will probably result in lesser quality wine as opposed to pinot from a more moderate clime.

It is a fact that regardless of the weather modern wine making and grape growing techniques have progressed to the point that even relatively poor years weatherwise can be overcome and good wine can be produced.

So, I am not sure what is being argued here?

Edited October 31, 2005 by JohnL (log)

[docsconz]

"The biggest factor is global warming," he then states. Vineyard temperatures are on the rise and this, in turn, is producing riper grapes.

←

Globhal warming produces riper grapes? Hmm, I always thought vintners picked their grapes according to how ripe they were. This article implies that the harvest is done on the same day every year, and that in warm years the grapes will be riper on the designated "Harvest day." I don't believe that's how it works...

←

While you are correct about this, one thing to consider is that the climate can potentially effect the peak sugar level in a grape so that if a grape never achieves a significantly high level in the first place it is not going to contribute to a high alcohol wine. But you are correct that if that is not a consideration when the grapes are picked and at what brix level is up to the vintner. I personally agree with those that think the major influence on this is fashion, although I don't think the global warming question is entirely preposterous if it means that more vintners are now able to make higher alcohol wines because their grapes are now able to achieve higher sugar levels.

[Rebel Rose]

Since you do not provide the original article, I wonder what additional evidence the writer provides in support of what seems to be a simplistic (and possibly erroneous) conclusion.

John, carswell provided a summary of the article above in post #7. A link to the article is not available.

[JohnL]

Since you do not provide the original article, I wonder what additional evidence the writer provides in support of what seems to be a simplistic (and possibly erroneous) conclusion.

John, carswell provided a summary of the article above in post #7. A link to the article is not available.

←

Thanks! I just read it. It appears that Mr Anderson is covering many more bases.

As always, with wine, things just are never so simple.

I would still like to see some evidence to support the premise that there is a trend toward "high alcohol" in wines.

I suspect the "trend" is ripe fruit which is not really a trend, it has been the goal of every winemaker in history from the Burgundian who added wine from Algeria to his "Pommard" to the Loire wine maker who chaptalizes.

[jackal10]

Think about some of the very hot years we have had recently. The wine has not been very alcoholic. If it gets hot enough the vines shut down. Climate change also brings more late rain.

[carswell]

Think about some of the very hot years we have had recently. The wine has not been very alcoholic. If it gets hot enough the vines shut down. Climate change also brings more late rain.

←

Not necessarily true. Many French 2003s, especially whites, have come across as hot as well as blowsy and raisiny. Besides, I don't think Anderson or anyone else in this thread is talking about extreme heat wave conditions but rather an overall trend to warmer temperatures. And saying that climate change (by which I assume you mean global warming) also brings more late rain is a wild generalization; there are places where what, if anything, it has brought is drought.

More on all this when work permits.

[Rebel Rose]

Work? You let work interfere with eGullet time? (Just kidding!)

[JohnL]

Having read Mr Carswell's recap of Mr Anderson'a piece. I wonder what Mr Anderson is getting at?

He does a good job covering the bases then closes by saying that few people seem to have noticed the "trend" thus winemakers will continue making these wines.

There still is no indication from Mr Anderson as to specifically what wines he is talking about--there are wines of varying alcohol levels available today. Is he seeing higher levels across the board?

and

What constitutes a "high" alcohol level in his opinion?

He implies that these "high" alcohol levels are a bad thing.?

I would doubt that winemakers are "trying" to craft wines that are higher in alcohol. (there are restrictions country to country on alcohol levels).

As always winemakers have to work with what is at hand.

Is he arguing that winemakers should pick less ripe fruit?

I would also note that focusing on just alcohol levels is a bit confusing there is so much more that impacts a wine's flavors.

Edited October 31, 2005 by JohnL (log)

[Vinfidel]

john, also reading the article i was wondering what he is getting at except a rant about some very strange beliefes with not a lot of backup

carswell did a good recap but the tone of the original article is clearly a pointless ramp starting with the thesis statement of his article is that GLOBAL WARMING is the biggest factor in high alcohol wines.

there are some sub factors he claims such as increased irrigation (i guess due to the drought brought on by global warming we have to use irrigiation now) and monster yeasts to replace the "killed off" wild yeasts but these are all painted as secondary effects of the primary evil that is the climate change

there is no real point to the article i just thought his wild statement was reckless and laughable so i thought to make the post here to see the comments

like someone else posted i guess that now all of fruit in the supermarket will taste like candied fruit thanks be to all the higher sugar!!

[carswell]

There still is no indication from Mr Anderson as to specifically what wines he is talking about--there are wines of varying alcohol levels available today. Is he seeing higher levels across the board?

and

What constitutes a "high" alcohol level in his opinion?

←

In his opening paragraph, Anderson mentions that he pulled a random series of bottles from his cellar. The first two were whites, New Zealand and California chardonnays, both at 14%. Next were five reds, including a 14% Beaujolais and a 14.5% Californian. He then states that "norm used to be 12 or 13 per cent." No, he doesn't name names (he doesn't really need to) or cite studies (that would be intersting). I'm sure that's partly because he's an older man (a "grandpa" is vinfidel's charming put-down over on the Montreal thread that prompted this one) and has simply noticed the change over his lifetime. So, for that matter, have I. While Anderson's got at least a decade or two on me, I've been serious about wine for more than 30 years. Back in the '70s, 13% and 13.5% wines were considered heady and 14% wines were almost unheard of. I can remember a horrid bottle of dry Spanish red, a private import by the Opimium Society, that was presented with much fanfare by the parvenu father of a friend, that rang in at something like 15.5% or 16% and that was touted in the accompanying literature as being unique in the world for that very fact. Back then, it was easy to find zinfandels at 12% and 12.5%; today, I can't say when the last time I saw one under 14% was. Don't take my word for it, though. Here's a quote from a Jancis Robinson article on the very topic:

I remember red bordeaux with labels stating unashamedly 10.5 and 11 per cent alcohol but nowadays percentages of less than 13 are becoming a rarity even in the temperate climate of Bordeaux. In warmer wine regions, in Australia and California for example, the trend in potency has also been upwards, but from a higher base. As long-serving winemaker Bob Lindquist of Qupé in Santa Barbara told the New York Times recently, “It used to be anything above 14 per cent was really up there. Now, 15 is the new 14."

I rembember 11% red Bordeaux, too. When was the last time you saw some of those?

OK, so most of the evidence is anecdotal (though I do recall some Ridge graphs posted a few years ago on the WLDG). That doesn't make it any less valid. Especially given its weight: do a Google search on trend to higher alcohol wines and you'll see what I mean. Bet you might also find some stats if you look hard enough.

He implies that these "high" alcohol levels are a bad thing.?

Yep. As does nearly every wine lover of my acquaintance. Don't know about you, but I wish the alcohol levels in wine were going down. As far as I'm concerned, 8% alc./vol. is one of the many attractions of German riesling. I'd love to be able to buy Beaujolais like it used to be back when it rarely reached 11%. In his Adventures on the Wine Route, Kermit Lynch contrasts Paris wine merchant Jean-Baptiste Chaudet's description of the 1940s-1960s wine ("very light in color, at times really pale, slightly aggressive, even a touch green") with Parker's descriptors in his 1987 Wine Buyer's Guide (soft, lush, silky, full, fleshy, rich, supple, etc.). "Mr. Parker is correct," Lynch concludes. "His adjectives perfectly describe today's overchaptalized, overalcoholic Beaujolais." Lynch also points out that new-fangled Beaujolais doesn't accompany Lyon's rich, thirst-inducing food nearly as well as the fat-cutting, thirst-slaking old Bojo did.

However impressive in dimension, a 15% wine is never going to be refreshing. And for it not to be hot as the dickens, it's going to have to be highly extracted or concentrated (pace Ballinger) and carry some residual sugar. It will probably also have low acidity (I'd normally say deficient acidity but I'm trying to keep my preferences out of this). These are wines that weigh heavily on the palate. They aren't quaffers. And that's probably a good thing because if you throw them back, you're going to feel it both now (better have a designated driver) and tomorrow (hangover). Remember, a 15% wine contains 25% more alcohol than a 12% wine. Nearly all the wine I consume is drunk with food; refreshment is important to me. And I don't like headaches. So, yes, as a general rule that admits exceptions, high alcohol levels are a bad thing.

I would doubt that winemakers are "trying" to craft wines that are higher in alcohol. (there are restrictions country to country on alcohol levels).

Put your Parker down for a minute and read the Robinson article linked to above. Read the NYT article she quotes. Read The Vintner's Art or the relevant entries in the Oxford Companion to Wine. Poke around the Web a bit and then come back and claim that winemakers aren't consciously attempting to craft higher alcohol wines.

As always winemakers have to work with what is at hand.

Is he arguing that winemakers should pick less ripe fruit?

Grapes that ripen early give the grape grower the option of increasing the hang time, of picking not ripe grapes but superripe grapes or even slightly raisinated grapes. Although Anderson skates over this and just about every other complexity, there is absolutely no justification for insinuating that he advocates the picking of unripe grapes.

I would also note that focusing on just alcohol levels is a bit confusing there is so much more that impacts a wine's flavors.

It's not only about wines' flavours. It's also about drinkability, potential for intoxication and even long-term health effects. Alcoholic strength is a perfectly valid topic for a wine column, especially these days when many people are coming to view it as a problem.

edit: clean-up (hit the Submit button instead of the Preview button)

Edited November 1, 2005 by carswell (log)

[Vinfidel]

carswell to release the steam valve a bit, maybe the point of grandpa mal's article was that alcohol might be a problem more than a virtue

but he does not make this point, instead he blames it on mother nature

that is why i say it is a rant sincethe base claim is wild

of course as i can see that you know the real deals, wine is in the hands of the winemaker

anyways i too would wish that the days were like before with 11-12% alcohol wines so i could have some with lunch

anyway lets be real: we cannot say that global warming causes wines to be high alcohol. it is the winemakers and maybe the consumers that like this fashion.

Edited November 1, 2005 by Vinfidel (log)

[jsolomon]

carswell to release the steam valve a bit, maybe the point of grandpa mal's article was that alcohol might be a problem more than a virtue

but he does not make this point, instead he blames it on mother nature

that is why i say it is a rant sincethe base claim is wild

←

That's a standard trick for raising awareness. In the Army we call it the shit sandwich where you have something you want to raise awareness about with a person or task so you in essence say "it's great. it's shit. it's great". Then, the part you really want to raise awareness about you tuck into the last "it's great" part.

He probably had someone he didn't want to annoy when he wrote the article.

[JohnL]

Thanks for the thoughtful post Carswell.

The issue is what I suspected it to be.

The ongoing argument over "new" wines vs the "old."

We are certainly not going to resolve things here. The reason is the issue is far too complex--I haven't the room on my hard drive!

Jancis Robinson is a fine and knowledgeable writer I read her often. She is a good representative for one side of the argument. I tried not to bring him up but..yes Robert Parker represents the other side. One (Robinson) takes a "glass is half empty" position. Parker takes a "half full" angle.

Incidently for you, or anyone else, who would like to read the "other side" of Ms Robinson's position, I recommend the first sixteen pages of Parker's new book "The World's Greatest Wine Estates." It is a fairly expensive book so a few minutes in a book store should provide enough time to read the opening pages.

As for me, I find this whole argument difficult to get one's arms around. The only writer I have found who actually addresses the isues in totality is Parker, though Andrew Jefford in "The New France" does a very good job (I also recommend this book very highly). Jancis Robinson comes close. The problem is both sides are attempting to deal with the fact that the wine world is changing (it always has but the last thirty years the pace has accelerated).

I view this latest "alcohol level" argument to be one more attempt by the "old is better" folks to deal with even explain where wine is and is going. This is the problem with their side of things. They often come at the issue by "latching" on to a singular point (alcohol levels) and attempting to get to their main point which really is: "things(read wines) were so much better forty years ago."

The other side of this celebrates the belif that the wine world has increased in size--there are more wines from more locations in the world available in more places today. And--overall the quality of these wines has never been greater.

The problem is--the older is better crowd has a difficult time presenting and supporting their argument. So they latch on to things like higher alcohol or "the evil empire" (read the Americans) invading france (Mondovino) or "wines are becoming homogenized" or Parker is influencing winemakers and wine buyers. Or wines are being made for the "American" palate.

The truth is, there are small elements of truth in all their arguments which they attempt to expand into a "crusade." Mr Anderson's piece is a good example--he takes a sensational headline (a la Mondovino--"America is attempting to rule the world")

using "Global Warming." He combines this with some factual truth (yes alcohol levels are rising/have risen in many wines) all to get to his thesis which is: Things (wines) were so much better thirty years ago.

So let's just look at the higher alcohol thing. I think a key here is the end of the piece:

he notes that since people do not seem to have noticed the high alcohol, winemakers will continue to make these wines.

It seems (if one googles the issue) the only people who do "notice" are mostly his fellow "things were better" compatriots. So maybe, just maybe-- for wine drinkers-- the issue is not so important. (I am not saying it is of no importance).

Alcohol is a component of wine--it is not the determining factor in a wine's drinkability or quality.

There have always been "high alcohol" wines. These tend to come from places where there is a lot of heat and sun impacting the vinyards. For eg the Rhone hotter, warmer than Bordeaux so why is it any suprise that wines from California (Napa) or Australia are relatively higher in alcohol than wines from cooler climes?

(there are always exceptions to every generalization about wine).

Note I used the word "relatively" that is what we need here--rational perspective.

Maybe "most people" haven't "noticed" this horrible disaster of higher alcohol because it is not such a horrible disaster. maybe peole are not so dumb (anyone who subscribes to say, Parker is often deemed a sheep) . Maybe most wine drinkers can choose wines they like to drink regardless of specific knowledge about PH levels etc. They buy what tastes good to them. Winemaking is a balancing act--fruit, ripeness, acidity, sugar, alcohol. If and when alcohol levels are too high--or wines are out of balance--people will turn away from them.

I know many people who do not like Turley Zinfandels or Amarones.

And while we are on the topic of Amarone's --how is it that Ms Robinson (and Mr Anderson) don't rail against these wines???? They are all high in alcohol.

The answer is Amarone's are old world and old world is good only new world is bad.

The good old days?

I too go back thirty years. Yes Bordeaux and Burgundy produced some fine wines so too did California. But an awful lot of wine was pretty bad. There were far fewer "good" vintages then."

It should be noted that many of the greatest wines ever produced in Bordeaux had either relatively high or low alcohol levels (see it ain't just about the alcohol).

Many wines produced were tannic and unyielding acid levels were too high (it ain't just about acidity either) the fruit was unripe or over ripe. The cognescenti told us they needed long ageing. These wines were often dried out and charmless after any amount of time in the cellar.

Burgundy is even worse--as was California. (I believe I still have some old cabs that after twenty years in my cellar are still "ageing").

I'm sorry but today is a hell of a lot better. The fruit is riper the wines are cleaner there are more good vintages-- not only in France but around the world--we have more diversity! If low alcohol is your criteria--you have plenty of choices.

I would point to a recent thread here at eGullet--in Wine regarding Priorat wines (Spain) these are wines that have relatively high alcohol (the alcohol levels in Priorat wines was even higher many years ago) read the tasting notes in the link Daniel Rogov provided. Yes there are many people who do not like these wines (I even find some a bit too much of a good thing) but should we decry the fact that they are relatively higher in alcohol, should we attribute their presence to an international plot hatched by Robert Parker? Remember the Priorat has been making wine for a long time (they have just recently been 'discovered").

Or maybe we should go back to the "old Days" when these wines weren't even available. When most wines available were high in acid low in alcohol--yes "food" wines) high in astringent tannins (remember: "with twenty five years of age....").

When we did not havbe to "suffer" all those Oregon Pinots and Australian syrahs and the "overly extracted" (whatever that means) California cult cabs.

To be reasonable (I haven't spent this long balanced on a soap box in quite a while)

and in conclusion: I think there is a happy medium.

There are (and always will be) many wines that are "old style" If one likes low alcohol high acidity reds then places like the Loire will continue to produce them (the climate dictates this) what is good news is places like the Loire are benefitting from modern winegrowing and making and is producing better wines. I would argue there are more Red wines from the Loire available on shelves today than there were even ten years ago.

Pinot Noir in the new world is being produced from climes and locations that are better suited to this varietal. The new world is discovering the importance of terroir.

I would also add that the Old World is discovering the importance of ripe fruit (in fact they always understood this --they did promote chaptalization in many wines).

As with most things--people often fear or at least are uneasy with change. And with most things people look back at the "good old" days with fondness. (some of which is clouded by the passing of time).

Overall I believe things are pretty good. Wine is so complex there will always be room for debate. There will always be wines people love and people hate.

people will be passionate about wine--regardless of the alcohol content!

Let's celebrate the wines we love from years gone by and enjoy the great bounty of wine we have today.