Alcohol by volume (ABV)
/ˈæl.kəˌhɒl baɪ ˈvɒl.juːm/
Alcohol by volume (ABV) is a standardized measure of how much pure ethanol a wine contains, expressed as a percentage of the wine’s total liquid volume, usually at 20 °C. For example, a wine labeled 13% ABV contains 13% pure alcohol and 87% other components (water, acids, flavor compounds, etc.) by volume.
Examples
- A Mosel Riesling labeled "8.5% vol" has a low ABV, indicating a light, delicate wine with modest alcohol and often some residual sweetness.
- A red Bordeaux showing "13.0% ABV" represents a typical table wine strength, suggesting moderate body and balanced alcohol.
- A warm-climate Zinfandel at "15.5% ABV" signals very ripe grapes and a full-bodied, powerful style with noticeable alcoholic warmth at the finish.
Etymology
The phrase "alcohol by volume" combines three elements. "Alcohol" derives from Medieval Latin "alcohol", from Arabic "al-kuḥl" (الكحل), originally referring to a fine powdered cosmetic and later generalized in European science to mean a purified essence, then specifically ethanol and related compounds. "By" functions as a preposition indicating the basis of measurement, and "volume" comes from Latin "volumen" (a roll or scroll), which evolved in scientific usage to denote the three-dimensional space a substance occupies. Historically, wine strength was expressed using empirical tests and proof systems (e.g., British and U.S. proof). With the development of analytical chemistry and hydrometers in the 19th and 20th centuries, percentage alcohol by volume became a precise, standardized, and eventually globally adopted legal measure for expressing the ethanol content of wine and other alcoholic beverages.