By Micah Hanks

Photo by Sanjay Acharya

At least as far as Californian wines go. In the present Californian wine market, the old standard, 12 % ABV, is out, with most wines from the West Coast raising their alcohol count by a percentage point.

According to experts, this is due to a bolder, richer “fruity” taste that has become the preferred norm. In order to achieve this, the use of sweeter grapes is paramount; hence, more sugars are used as well, leading to production of more alcohol during the fermentation process.

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