Did you know?.... What We Mean by "Hot" Wine

Sometimes, a wine is referred to as "hot". Unless you are drinking mulled wine, this isn't a reference to the wine's temperature, or even its spice level (which is common vernacular in the food world). Instead, "hot" wine is wine higher in alcohol content than normal, and in most cases means you can feel that alcohol in your mouth. The reason it is referred to as "hot" is both because of the warming effect of the alcohol, and the fact that the high alcohol content is due to grapes that were riper than usual, most likely from a hot summer.