Jerry DeAngelis wrote:



Thus I am able to lead two lives
relative to winemaking. I am not actually recommending anything, but I
am suggesting that all of this fretting about PA is more an intellectual
exercise than a practical reality for many winemakers

VERY much agree.

While home winemakers may like to know the alcohol content of a wine
they are making, it makes little difference in the scheme of things,
vis-a-vis taxes, labels, etc. If a wine is 13%, 14,% or 15.5% alcohol,
great as long as the wine is balanced, and a good example of that
particular varietal.

Agree again - excellent.

For those who must know the final alcohol content of their wine - or
those who just want to know - there are at least 6 laboratory methods
available to accomplish this. Ebulliometry (for wines with 2%
residual sugar corrective measures must also be taken), Gas
Chromatography and Determination by Hydrometric Analysis (essentially
distillation and measuring S. Gravity) are three are offered by many
laboratories, and which are not necessarily expensive to have done.

Well stated.
Excellent post.