<P> Wine is important in cuisine not just for its value as an accompanying beverage, but as a flavor agent, primarily in stocks and braising, since its acidity lends balance to rich savory or sweet dishes . Wine sauce is an example of a culinary sauce that uses wine as a primary ingredient . Natural wines may exhibit a broad range of alcohol content, from below 9% to above 16% ABV, with most wines being in the 12.5--14.5% range . Fortified wines (usually with brandy) may contain 20% alcohol or more . </P> <P> In the alcoholic drinks industry, congeners are substances produced during fermentation . These substances include small amounts of chemicals such as occasionally desired other alcohols, like propanol and 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol, but also compounds that are never desired such as acetone, acetaldehyde and glycols . Congeners are responsible for most of the taste and aroma of distilled alcoholic drinks, and contribute to the taste of non-distilled drinks . It has been suggested that these substances contribute to the symptoms of a hangover . Tannins are congeners found in wine in the presence of phenolic compounds . Wine tannins add bitterness, have a drying sensation, taste herbaceous and are often described as astringent . Wine tannins adds balance, complexity, structure and makes a wine last longer, so they play an important role in the aging of wine . </P> <P> Alcoholic drinks are a source of food energy . The USDA uses a figure of 6.93 kilocalories (29.0 kJ) per gram of alcohol (5.47 kcal (22.9 kJ) per ml) for calculating food energy . In addition to alcohol, many alcoholic drinks contain carbohydrates . For example, along with approximately 96 calories from alcohol in 350 ml (12 US fl oz) of 5% ABV beer, there are usually 10--15 g of carbohydrates (40--60 kcal or 170--250 kJ). Excessive daily calorie intake may contribute to an increase in body weight and so - called "beer belly". In addition to the direct effect of its caloric content, alcohol is also known to potentiate the insulin response of the human body to glucose, which, in essence, "instructs" the body to convert consumed carbohydrates into fat and to suppress carbohydrate and fat oxidation . </P> <Table> Typical ABV ranges <Tr> <Td> Beers </Td> <Td> typically 5% (range is from 3--15%) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Wines </Td> <Td> typically 13.5% (range is from 8%--17%) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Fortified wines </Td> <Td> 15--22% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Spirits </Td> <Td> typically 30% - 40% (range is from 15% to, in some rare cases, up to 98%) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Fruit juices </Td> <Td> <0.1% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Cider, wine coolers </Td> <Td> 4%--8% </Td> </Tr> </Table>

When is a drink classed as alcoholic abv