(NewWorldWinemaker) - Are you using the correct tool for your specific application? What’s the difference between a Refractometer, Hydrometer or Spectrophotometer? Find out here ... IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. Learning how to measure sugar in your grapes, juice, and wine is the most fundamental analysis that winemakers learn. It is sugar that will be converted to alcohol by your yeast, so an accurate measurement in the vineyard and in the juice or must at harvest can give you a good estimate of your wine’s potential alcohol. It is rarely the case that your wine will have too little alcohol – early harvest Riesling in Germany often has final alcohol levels between 7 and 10%. Even with alcohol levels this low, the wine’s low pH helps to keep it stable against microbes. Proper sanitation through the vinification process will ensure a clean and crisp wine. If your potential alcohol is too high, on the other hand (> 14%), your fermentation may struggle towards the end, depending on the type of yeast involved.