Alcohol

Definition:

Alcohol: The magical molecule that turns grape juice into a dinner party. Technically, it’s ethanol - the stuff yeast cooks up while eating sugar. Too little and your wine tastes like juice, too much and your dance moves will be remembered forever (for all the wrong reasons).

Why it Matters:

Alcohol is the not-so-secret sauce of wine. It’s the part that warms your chest, lifts your mood, and makes your uncle suddenly think he’s Sinatra on karaoke night. But beyond buzz potential, alcohol actually shapes the flavor, body, and overall balance of the wine in your glass. It can add richness, roundness, or - when out of whack - make a wine feel hotter than a July sidewalk in Arizona.

Think of alcohol like the thermostat of wine: too low and the wine feels flat, too high and it scorches your taste buds. The sweet spot brings harmony between fruit, acid, tannins, and your general sense of “ahhh.” In short, alcohol isn’t just about getting tipsy, it’s the structural backbone of why wine feels like wine and not Welch’s.