Alcohol levels in wine are trending up to accommodate consumers taste

Over the last two decades, drinkers have developed a passion for fruity, aromatic wines with round, silky tannins, encouraged by high ratings from critics. But many wine drinkers now say the alcohol levels have gone too far. "Going from drinking two glasses of wine with 12-percent alcohol to a similar amount of wine that contains 14-percent alcohol could put you from under to over the legal limit for driving," said Michael Apstein, a columnist, gastroenterologist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. "We all enjoy wine, but we enjoy balanced wine. As soon as you get 14, 15 and 15.5 percent, you don't have balanced wines," added Laurent Audeguin, a selection, research and development manager at the French Vine and Wine Institute. In response, some vintners are now introducing grape varieties that deliver lower alcohol in hot, dry growing conditions.