High-alcohol wines pack in flavor -- with a punch

SEBASTOPOL, CALIF. -- California's big reds are coming on strong these days as winemakers pursue riper, fuller-flavored fruit.

A number of wines have been creeping past 14 percent alcohol and even into the 15- to 16-percent range, as opposed to the tamer 12- to 13-percent of years past. This is largely because vintners wait longer to pick their grapes. More mature fruit is thought to make tastier wine, but it also means sugar levels have a chance to rise, which comes with the side effect of pumping up the alcohol volume. Warmer harvests only increase the phenomenon.

These big reds, many of which are highly rated, have their champions and critics.

"They fill your mouth with flavor; you can chew on them. They linger on your palate," said Doug White, with the Vintner's Collective, a Napa tasting room.

Others are wary of the punch they can pack.

One definition of the "right" alcohol level is if two people can finish a bottle and "wish there was a little bit more," said Randy Dunn, founder of Dunn Vineyards. "You don't do that with a 15.5 percent or 16 percent alcohol wine," he added. "You'd be lying on the floor."

It's not always easy to tell just how much alcohol is in a wine.

Wines containing 7 percent to 14 percent alcohol can be labeled "table wine" or "light wine," and not list the alcohol content, under federal regulations. When a percentage is listed, it can be off by up to 1.5 percent because one batch of wine may differ from another, said Art Resnick, with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in Washington, D.C. Wines over 14 percent alcohol fall into a higher tax category and must list alcohol levels with a tolerance of plus or minus 1 percent.

One way to have ripe fruit without high alcohol is to pull alcohol out of wine using reverse osmosis.

At Shafer Vineyards, a Napa Valley producer of some highly rated big reds, winery President Doug Shafer won't use technology to reduce alcohol, though he is aware of the debate.

"I'm not forcing anyone to buy our wines," he said.