How accurate is a vinometer?

REDRUM · Sep 4, 2014

Hi all,
Just wondering how accurate a vinometer usually is? This sort of style:

Tested my Grenache-Shiraz wine at 9% abv - it does taste very light & the Grenache was picked quite early, but even so that seems a very low measurement.

Is this the most accurate way to get an alcohol content reading for a small home winemaker?

Boatboy24 · Sep 4, 2014

The most accurate way for the home winemaker, IMHO, is to subtract your ending SG from the starting SG and multiply by 133. I have a vinometer, but have never used it, because I've read they are completely unreliable. I've been meaning for some time to take readings with it and compare to my 'calculated' ABV, but just haven't gotten around to it.

dralarms · Sep 4, 2014

Ain't worth a crap unless the wine is completely dry and you happen to get a good one. I have 2, the first is pretty accurate, the second one says water is 25% alcohol.