A woman tests a glass of red wine during the Vinitaly wine expo in Verona, April 8, 2011. China, Russia and Brazil where consumers are discovering a pleasure of drinking good wine, will power growth of Italy's wine export while the core U.S. market recovers after crisis, industry experts say. Wine exports from Italy, which competes with France for the position of the world's biggest producer, rose about 11 percent to 3.9 billion euros ($5.62 billion) in 2010, according to industry data, as markets recovered from the global downturn. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini ( ITALY - Tags: FOOD BUSINESS) (REUTERS)
One upshot from all this hot summer weather, says wine experts, could be a little more buzz in your booze.
“Typically, when it starts breaking 100, 101, the grapes actually shut down,” Kevin Phillips, with the Michael David Winery in Lodi, told Fox 40. “[The heat] will halt the ripening.”
Excessive heat can quickly increase the sugars in grapes, which could mean more kick in your glass. Alcohol content of your bottle of vino from 2013 could jump from 14 to 16 percent.
“More bang for your buck,” as Phillips put it.
While this fact might be welcome news for drinkers, grape farmers don't like the idea of too much heat. Winemakers say it's not just how strong the wine is and that they aim for balance in their bottles. For now, they can control the grapes’ ripening, unless the heat hits a month or so from now – during harvest.
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