Anthony Rose: 'Wine alcohol levels have risen on average 2 per cent'

Suggested Topics

It would be easy to knock Tesco's new raft of lower alcohol wines, given that few wine lovers would be likely to enjoy these saccharine 0-5 per cent confections. You have to wonder whether "encouraging customers to be mindful of the amount of alcohol they consume" plays second fiddle to the commercial imperative that "lower alcohol wines have seen positive sales growth over the past year". According to the research company Wine Intelligence, lower alcohol sales will increase to 6-8 per cent of the wine market.

As I recall from readers' responses to a piece in which I once recommended some summer wines weighing in at a hefty 14 per cent, alcohol today is a burning issue. In two decades, wine alcohol levels have risen on average 2 per cent. That may not sound much but it can make the difference between drinkability and a wine that palls. Climate change is the usual scapegoat but a recent conference in Washington blamed wine critics for encouraging wineries to pick riper not just for higher ratings but to satisfy a taste for richer, full-bodied wines.

It seemed timely to focus on lower alcohol during The Wine Gang's talks at May's London International Wine Fair. Of the six wines I showed, the five white and one red illustrated that it's generally easier to find lighter styles in whites than reds. I kicked off with the 2011 Hilltop, Cserszegi Fuszeres from Hungary, £5.75, The Wine Society. Like a cross between an Alsace gewurztraminer and a muscat, its floral-spicy aromatics morph into a herby fruit quality etched with acidity.

It was followed by a 2010 Domaine de Maubet, Côtes de Gascogne, £6.85, Oxford Wine Company (01865 301144), a south-west French blend with an elderflower fragrance and gooseberry flavours. The most distinctive white was a 2010 Domaine de l'Idylle Vieilles Vignes, £9.50, Yapp Brothers (01747 860423), from France's Savoie region. With an appley, Alpine bite, its 11 per cent alcohol belies its punchy flavour.

Next up, Tyrrell's 10.8 per cent 2006 HDV Hunter Valley Semillon from museum stock showed the astonishing capacity of Hunter semillon to gain complexity without losing freshness. Finally to 2010 Dr Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, £11.99, Sainsbury's, a featherweight off-dry Mosel riesling with a smoky fragrance. Most intriguing of all, at a bantamweight 12 per cent alcohol, Best's 2010 Great Western Young Vine Pinot Meunier, £20.95, slurp.co.uk, Bibendum, a sumptuous raspberries-and-cream red that could easily be mistaken for red Burgundy.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Life & Style blogs

Hearing loss: An invisible impairment and a preventable disability

Many years ago, I lost nearly all my upper frequency hearing as a result of military action. What pr...

It’s National Work From Home Day today

Plus live in a folly tower and Towcester growth

Where have property prices been reduced most in the UK?

Plus how much you need to earn to rent in London, and new homes figures

       

ES Rentals

    iJobs Job Widget
    iJobs Food & Drink

    Food Technology Teacher

    £26400 - £36000 per annum: Randstad Education Maidstone: An Independant school...

    Travel Consultant - Career In The Travel Industry!! Full Training Provided!!

    £22k-£25k + comm + benefits: Blue Travel Solutions: LOOKING FOR A CAREER IN TH...

    Caribbean Specialists !! Excellent Salary!!!

    £26k-£29k + excellent comm: Blue Travel Solutions: We have a high-end luxury t...

    Travel Agent

    £23000 - £27000 per annum + (£15K + Uncapped Commission & Benefits): Flight Ce...

    Day In a Page

    'There is a battle going on inside us that is never discussed'

    Masculinity in crisis?

    'There is a battle going on inside us that is never discussed'
    Have US shock jocks gone too far?

    Have US shock jocks gone too far?

    An incendiary remark from Rush Limbaugh may be the beginning of the end for outspoken right-wing US broadcasters
    The ‘Beverly Hills’ of Surrey pays more income tax than big cities of the North

    The ‘Beverly Hills’ of Surrey

    Elmbridge pays more income tax than big cities of the North
    Heavenly Bodies

    Heavenly Bodies

    Michael Landy's artistic marriage made in heaven... and hell
    'He will always be a friend': Jackie Stewart backs Polanski

    'He will always be a friend'

    Jackie Stewart backs Roman Polanski
    The price of pacifism: Refusing to go to war is finally being recognised as a brave act

    The price of pacifism

    From the Second World War refusenik to the 19-year-old Israeli, Holly Williams talks to five people who risked shame and suffering to take a stand as conscientious objector.
    'It was mass hysteria': Jason Isaacs on groupies, theatre bores and snogging James Bond

    Jason Isaacs: Groupies, theatre bores and James Bond

    To millions, Jason Isaacs is one of Harry Potter's arch enemies – but his wife prefers him as a Scottish TV detective.
    Notes from a small island: Is Sealand an independent 'micronation' or an illegal fortress?

    Sealand: 'Micronation' or illegal fortress?

    Thomas Hodgkinson spent a week at the tiny platform off the Suffolk coast to find out.
    Not a bad bone: Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

    Mark Hix cooks with cutlets and ribs

    If you ignore cutlets and ribs, you'll risk missing out on some delicious and easy meals, says our chef.
    The experts' guide to summer: From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz

    The experts' guide to summer

    From getting fit for the beach to recreating that Olympic buzz
    Sex, drugs and fast cars: The legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

    Legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing

    Early glimpses of Ron Howard's film Rush suggest it will portray Hunt as a high-living lothario, with an insatiable appetite for partying.
    Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation when using drugs and alcohol. It was hurting my life'

    Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation'

    The next Vanilla Ice or the next Eminem? Macklemore doesn't have a record contract – but he does have the UK's biggest-selling single of the year.
    Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

    Don't be shy: Bill Granger's Sri Lankan recipes

    Sri Lankan cuisine is light, sunny, wonderfully spiced – and so easy to cook from scratch. Just as soon as you've broken into the coconut, that is.
    Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

    Sir James Dyson’s latest project: Cleaning up hospitals

    Doctors are hailing the revamp of a Bath neonatal unit, where babies sleep more and feed better, as the model for patient care
    One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

    One man returns to Argentina's town that drowned

    Epecuen was submerged under 10 metres of water in 1985. Now the floods have gone – and 83-year-old Pablo Novak has moved back in