Lower alcohol wine

It seems to me that more and more wines are being produced these days with increasingly higher levels of alcohol.  Many wines are on sale with 'alcohol by volume' (abv) rates above 14% and, even if we exclude fortified wines, there are numerous wines from hot climates, for example Australia and the USA, in the 15%-16% range.  To be fair, the majority of European wines still fall within the 11.5%-13.5% range but I guess that even these are stronger than those basic vins de table drunk throughout France and Italy for a large part of the twentieth century.

Assuming a wine has not been fortified with a neutral spirit such as grape brandy the high abv is the result of all the sugar in the fruit being converted into alcohol.  On the other hand with a lower alcohol wine (e.g. less than 10% abv) either the grapes are less ripe in the first place so there is less sugar to convert into alcohol or the winemaker has consciously stopped the vinification process early to create a sweeter wine with some residual sugar left in the bottle.  

It is not hard to conclude then that alcoholic strength relates not only to what style of wine local tradition demands or an individual producer wishes to make but climate change has, and will continue to have, a significant impact on this crucial aspect of a decent bottle of wine.  After all, it is no coincidence that wine production has really taken off in England during the past decade and the viability of wine production in Scandinavia is no longer the sole ambition of a deluded optimist. At the same time producers in southern Europe evaluate their traditional grapes and experiment with new plantings to ensure they have the optimum varieties for changing climatic conditions.

Health concerns 

Of course individual preference is a significant factor in the wines we drink and for many people (me included) it is the sheer variety of wine that fascinates and ultimately dictates the bottles we choose.  Many factors are at play here including the context (at home, in a restaurant, on holiday etc), the time of year / day, with or without food and then which food, alone or with others ...... etc, etc.  But increasingly people are becoming aware of the impact of alcohol consumption on their health either as a result of official guidance and/or simply through a desire to adopt a healthier lifestyle.  Current UK government guidance recommends drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week which is about 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine.  The documentation goes on to make the distinction between the strength of the drink by comparing glasses of different sizes as well as a bottle of an 11% and a 14% wine.  For example, a bottle of 14% wine is 10.5 units whereas a 11% wine is only 8.3 units.  

Whatever you think of public health warnings like this (and many people push back against the 'nanny state'), the guidance is based on scientific and clinical research but ultimately the choices we make are our own responsibility.  Nevertheless, even if they cannot quote the detail, most people I know understand the key message about if you drink alcohol drink in moderation and have a basic grasp of alcoholic strength. In fact, judging from the numerous recent media articles highlighting the significant shift by the younger age group away from alcohol consumption it is apparent there is a genuine trend well underway.

Tax policy

Duty and taxes levied on alcohol is relevant to this discussion too and in the UK these are among the highest in Europe.  Wine, beer, cider and spirits have been taxed for years but in 2023 the Conservative government determined to rationalise what was judged an unnecessary complex system.  Under the guise of ensuring the new arrangements aligned with health policy a key feature of the new legislation was to link duty paid to alcoholic strength; the stronger the beverage the higher the duty.   The idea was that wine would be taxed incrementally by 0.5% abv between 11.5% and 14.5% and the only way for producers to lower the cost of duty was to drop the abv to below 11.5%.  In fact, this so-called 'rationalisation' was so complicated that a interim arrangement was put in place in summer 2023 by which all wine between 11.5% and 14.5% would be taxed temporarily at the 12.5% rate!  Fast forward to the first budget of the Labour government (October 2024) and confirmation that this complex detailed incremental duty tax proposed by the Conservative administration would still go ahead as planned from 1 February 2025.  Therefore, in summary, from early next year duty on a 12.0% wine will be more than a 11.5% wine, a 12.5% wine more than a 12% wine and so on all the way up to 14.5%.  And of course VAT (i.e. further taxation) is charged on the wine after the duty has been applied.  

There is clearly a massive incentive for retailers of typical, everyday, pile-'em-high, supermarket wines to keep prices low by demanding their mass-producing suppliers create wines no higher than 11.0% abv to minimise the tax burden.  But ...

• Do we really want to drink a 11.0% Primitivo / Zinfandel?  
• Is tax policy going to result in less choice because some wines and styles of wine will be deemed not worth the money?
• Are we prepared to drink less full bodied wine (higher alcohol wines are perceived to have fuller body)?

Solutions

I suppose we could go the whole hog and commit to drinking zero-alcohol wines.  Clearly this is the position significant numbers of people are taking since there is an ever increasing number of 0% abv wines, beers and spirits on supermarket shelves. This increase in the available range is to be applauded not least for providing an option for people who for whatever reason, health or otherwise, are unable to drink alcohol even if calling these beverages wines, beers and spirits seems at least to me to be something of a misnomer.  However, the solution I prefer to concentrate on more is the expansion of the so-called 'lower alcohol' wines.  This is a generally understood term used to describe wines that fall between 5.5% and 10% abv.

Popular big branded wines such as 19 Crimes and McGuigan have been quick to get in on the act.  Asda, for example, is selling a McGuigan Mid Shiraz and a McGuigan Mid Suavignon both at 7% abv.  The current offer is 'Buy 2 for £11' until 1 Jan 2025 so it wouldn't break the bank to try them.  The 19 Crimes Mid Strength Red wine (unspecified red blend) and 19 Crimes Mid Strength Chardonnay also 7% abv are just a fraction more expensive at Sainsburys.  However, a word of caution: I have not tasted either of these but I would recommend having a quick look through buyers' online comments because they suggest that drinkers so far are not that impressed!

Better options in my limited experience are a couple of bottles from Forrest Wines in  New Zealand - 'The Doctors' Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 9.5% and 'The Doctors' Marlborough Riesling 9.0%.  For balance the links here relate to Majestic where at the time of writing they are £8 and £9 respectively, but they are widely available on the high street.  Note the slightly higher abv, but still below 10%.  Last year when it was first introduced on the UK market I tasted The Doctors Sauvignon Blanc at a tasting after about 40 'full-blown' NZ Sauvignon Blancs and noted it held up amazingly well in comparison!   Another widely available mid-strength Sauvignon Blanc from NZ is Brancott Estate 'Flight' Sauvignon Blanc 9%.

Forrest Wines, makers of 'The Doctors' wines, are clear that their process for making lower alcohol wines "features no chemistry or genetic manipulation.  Instead, by slowing the plant's ability to make sugar, but not its ability to develop flavour, (they) have managed to lower the alcohol content of their wines without sacrificing any of the taste".  The point being that they are lighter versions of the full-flavoured wines we have grown to expect from New Zealand.  All of the wines above are lighter versions of popular well-established branded wines.

.... And Recommendations

Firstly, there are a couple of wines I have my eye on in Sainsburys at the moment that for me are definitely worth seeking out.  The first is Elia Côtes de Gascogne 9.0%

Elia Côtes de Gascogne 9%

I am always banging on about the white wines made from local grape varieties in SW France.  They are fresh, citrusy, and high in acidity.  In fact, dead ringers for NZ Sauvignon Blanc!  But in this case the wine is made from 100% Colombard by the renowned Plaimont cooperative that has done so much to revive winemaking and promote the wines in the area.  Every supermarket has a white Côtes de Gascogne these days, and 9 times out of 10 it is made by Plaimont.  This Elia Côtes de Gascogne with its promise of crisp fruit flavours with notes of lemon and grapefruit is a positive alternative for anyone seeking a decent lower strength version.

My second Sainsburys recommendation is Sainsburys Mid Strength Val de Loire Blanc 8.5%.  This is a wine in the Taste the Difference range and, as the name suggests, it comes from further north in France in the Loire Valley. It is made from 100% Grolleau Gris, a grape which is unique to the area. It is a fresh, crisp and fruity wine not dissimilar to the Côtes de Gascogne above and I guess this is a style like the NZ Sauvignons that suits the lower alcohol wines.

Sainsburys Mid Strength Val de Loire

Of course, there is one further recommendation if you're aiming to cut back on the alcohol levels in your wine drinking and that is to seek out traditionally 'mid strength' wines.  The obvious choice would be a Kabinett Riesling from Germany such as the light and elegant Ürziger Würzgarten Kabinett Loosen from the Mosel Valley that is just 8% abv.  Vinho Verde from Portugal is typically light too and only just exceeds 10% (Waitrose Blueprint Vinho Verde 10.5%).  And then there's the Italian sparkling wines at the sweeter end: Moscato d'Asti / Asti Spumante 7.5%. Lambrusco 5.5% (both at Tesco), and my favourite in this category Brachetto d'Aqui 5.5%, although you will have to source it from an independent wine shop in the UK.

Happy (more) healthy drinking!