Why wines are sweet

The only way to know if you like a certain type of wine is to try it. What Makes Wine Sweet or Dry? Wine Austin Hope. What Makes a Wine Dry or Sweet? In short dry equals little to no residual sugar in the wine. Sweet wines are just the opposite. What is an Example of a Dry Wine? Learn about new releases, exclusive events, and fun updates. True, but moldy grapes? Potentially ah-ma-zing. Basically, the mold on the grapes drains the water from them, leaving behind concentrated flavors of honeyed stone fruit for the future wine.

Botrytis is one finicky fungus, though; too damp and it will cause gray rot, the type of mold that murders vineyards. Botyrtis thrives in misty morning conditions, generally near bodies of water.

One must be patient for its noble rot, though — the grapes are generally late-harvested to allow time for the mold to grow. Ice wine, most commonly found in Canada and Germany locally referred to as eiswein packs a hefty punch of sweetness — and a hefty price tag at that, given the rigorous circumstances it takes to produce this type of dessert wine.

We appreciate you sharing your knowledge of German winemaking. Brother in law makes homemade wine, sweet is most common, would like to see him make a drier wine, considering as a gift, how can you help me make this happen? Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Main Content Contact Us View Cart.

Toggle navigation. What Makes a Wine Sweet or Dry? By Russ Briley 4 Comments Wine sweetness starts with fruit. The California Wine Club. Publisher Name. Paul McCoy says:. July 7, at am. Karen D says:. To dive more deep, the International Riesling Foundation defines four sweetness categories, based upon a sugar-to-acid ratio, with a further tweak dependent upon the pH of the finished wine. A linear scale that reflects these values is often printed on the back label of Riesling bottles.

Aromatic white wines like Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Gewurztraminer can balance residual sugar with higher total acidity, which gives an impression of dryness. Thank You! We've received your email address, and soon you will start getting exclusive offers and news from Wine Enthusiast. This is one reason why many wines, even those technically off-dry, can taste dry. And in some instances, dry wines may seem sweet.

It has to do with how we perceive flavor. Tim Hanni, MW , has devoted his life to researching the history of sweet wines and the factors that affect sensory perception. Think of them as your personal building blocks of genetic code.