People often ask why wines from Europe generally have less alcohol than California wine.

The quick answer is California's consistently warmer climate.

High temperatures and longer summerlike conditions raise the sugar level in grapes, which is directly related to alcohol. This allows grapes to hang on the vine longer and develop more complex flavors; with that comes higher sugar content. The higher the sugar in the grapes, the higher the alcohol in the final product.

However, the trend in California has been to make bigger, more alcoholic wines.

Some believe the driving force is the slate of influential wine critics who have awarded high scores to this high-alcohol style in the past decade or so. That motivates some winemakers, or winery owners, to aim at winning these scores by imitating the style that the critics prefer.

The problem comes only when the alcohol overwhelms the wine. If a wine has intense fruit, strong tannic structure and good acidity, then it also needs a high alcohol level to balance it.

Too many wines have been made that have the high alcohol, but everything else is hidden by the alcohol.

A good example is when a burning sensation is felt on the lips and palate: This is evidence of wine dominated by its alcohol. In these instances, some wineries actually will take steps to reduce the alcohol in their wine by putting it through a process that lowers the overall percentage of alcohol.

So, balance is the key to a good wine, whether it has 12 percent alcohol or 16 percent. A good-quality fine wine can have either amount, as long as it is balanced with other components.

Label to look for

Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) Tapestry Reserve, Napa Valley, 2004. Though the percentages of its components change every year, depending on the annual variability in grapes, Tapestry is always a fine example of Meritage style (Bordeaux blend) wine. Twenty months in oak from France, America and Hungary round out its dark fruit smoothness and complexity. $50.

— Len Napolitano of the Central Coast is a wine enthusiast who believes the more you understand wine, the more you will enjoy it. He has studied under wine experts in Bordeaux and Burgundy, France, and holds certificates from the Chicago Wine School. Send your questions about wine to wineologist@earthlink.net or by mail to Len Napolitano in care of the Ventura County Star, P.O. Box 6006, Camarillo, CA 93011. Wine-ology is a registered trademark of Len Napolitano.