What is the average content of alcohol in French red wine?
 

Question submitted by Isabel de Noronha

Alcohol is the result of the transformation of sugars due to the action of yeasts in the grapes. About 20 grams of sugar are needed to obtain one degree of alcohol. Wine alcohol is called ethyl alcohol.

1 degree = 1 % of alcohol in the wine

French red wine alcohol range from 11 to 14 degrees. The average content of alcohol in french red wine is around 12.5 degrees (12%).

Full body red wines from Bourgogne or Cotes du Rhone have13 to 14% of alcohol.

Bordeaux red wines are around 12.5%.

Light body red wines such as Beaujolais nouveau, Chinon and Bourgueil range between 11 and 12.5% of alcohol.

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