The Big Red Debate

In the French tradition, wine has 12 to 13 percent alcohol. Today, many California wines have alcohol contents as high as 15 percent. The alcohol comes from the sugar in the grapes. The longer a grape ripens, the higher the alcohol content. Cabernets and Syrahs from Napa Valley have higher alcohol percentages. Read more about high alcohol wines from Chow.com.

Peter Langenstein owns Brix26, an online wine merchant specializing in California wines.