ABV

ABV meaning in wine

ABV means alcohol by volume: the percentage of a drink’s volume that is alcohol. 15% ABV means the equivalent of 15 mL of pure alcohol in 100 mL of wine. It measures concentration, not the total amount in a bottle or glass.

How to compare ABV

For equal-sized pours, a 15% ABV wine contains more alcohol than an 11% ABV wine. Pour size matters too: changing the volume changes the amount of alcohol even when the percentage stays the same. The wine bottle calculator lets you work with both volume and ABV.

Does higher ABV mean sweeter wine?

Not necessarily. During fermentation, yeast converts sugar into alcohol. Sugar left in the finished wine and the alcohol produced are different measurements. A wine can be high in alcohol and dry, or lower in alcohol with noticeable sweetness. Check the producer’s residual-sugar information rather than using ABV as a sweetness scale.