How high is too high? A lively debate during last week had a number of our twitter followers tweeting about the strength of certain wines. “I’d suspect I’d only see one glass of that wine before passing out!” exclaimed @beckyclark in relation to a 16% ABV (Alcohol By Volume) red wine.

Now, if you’re unfamiliar with the term “balance” in wine speak, put simply, it is how well the components of the wine come together as a whole when tasted. To use an example, a wine that is sweet and fruity with very little acidity might be described as unbalanced, as the sweetness of the fruit without the acidity to back it up may taste sickly sweet. Likewise, a wine that is very high in alcohol without the fruit structure may be described as unbalanced, or hot. That “hot” element is the alcohol, and believe me, it’s unmistakeable on the palate.

A couple of weekends ago Mike and I tried a Shiraz from McLaren Vale. It was picked from a selection of South Australian reds, one of which carried a whopping 16% ABV. Perhaps the Irishman in both of us had made up our minds, or maybe we were just being curious. Either way, the wine with the highest alcohol would be getting a hammering.

I have to say, for a Shiraz at 16% ABV it managed to hide the alcohol very well, which I think is a sign of a good wine. It was more balanced than we expected, but we knew straight away this was a BIG wine. I had work the next day, so I limited my intake and took a mouthful of water for every sip of wine. Mike didn’t have to go to work the next day. His Saturday was fruitless to say the least.

So, again, how high is too high? For me, I don’t shy away from high alcohol wines. I’ve tried so many between the 14% and 15.5% mark that carry all the components, including the alcohol, incredibly well and I like big, “in your face” wines that naturally come with a high percentage. But without a doubt, caution is needed, especially if you have to work the next day. I say enjoy with a glass of water at hand and watch how much you drink as these should almost be treated as spirits in terms of strength.

From our Twitter debate, it would seem not to faze too many people, myself included. For others, they’re happy to stay well clear, but with global warming resulting in more alcoholic wines, they may soon prove difficult to avoid.

@forkncork: “Some 16 wines don’t show it. Depends on fruit , grape variety and how it’s made. Dilute or drink less?”

@oisin: “that’s too boozy – even 15% is kinda going over the top IMHO”

@grapesofsloth: “We’d lectures w / Martin Moran MW yes, he was saying the low-alcohol demand thing isn’t so strong in this country.”

@manicmammy: “Not from me, would prefer lower, that % would hit too hard. same reason I seldom if ever drink spirits. not pretty ;-(“