There are many ways to describe wine (rich, fruity, zesty, oaky, big), but there are 5 basic profiles defining the characteristics of wine:
High alcohol. Low alcohol.
The majority of wines have between 8-15% alcohol.
| Low Alcohol | Below 11% ABV |
| Medium Alcohol | 11% - 13.9% ABV |
| High Alcohol | 14% ABV and above |
Examples of wines with high alcohol: California and Australia Chardonnay, Amarone, Australian Shiraz, Zinfandel.
Examples of wines with low alcohol: Aperitif Wines, Pinot Grigio, Muscadet, Lambrusco.
| Low Alcohol | 15% - 16.4% ABV |
| Medium Alcohol | 16.5% - 18.4% ABV |
| High Alcohol | 18.5 ABV and above |