Alcohol content: measured, not estimated

The standard

A declared alcohol figure names a measured value together with the tolerance within which it may be declared. Without measurement, a percentage stays a claim, not a finding.

Criteria

  • The value comes from a measurement, not an estimate
  • It denotes the ethanol share alone, not sweetness or body
  • It is given in percent by volume
  • The declaration allows a limited, regulated tolerance

Distinction

Alcohol content ≠ sugar ripeness: sugar ripeness sets the possible alcohol, the measured value reports the achieved result. Unlike the perceived warmth, a declared alcohol figure says nothing about balance, only about quantity.