Oh the number of Austrian Rieslings that people have called “sweet” just pains me as a Riesling advocate. Yeah the fruit implies sweetness, but the bottle style seems to trick the brain.
Great overview of dryness in wine! If memory serves, Brut Nature simply means no dosage was added, but up to 3g/L of RS is still permitted, so it may not be sugarless—but it’ll certainly be among the champagnes with the lowest RS. It’s an important distinction if you’re avoiding sugar for health reasons.
Brut Nature may have up to 3 g/L, but it cannot be added during the dosage, it must be trace sugar, likely non-fermenting. It’s a legal tolerance but in essence means the most sugar-free of the styles.
Great explanation for "dry wine". The old cliche regarding Americans (USA version) "talk dry, drink sweet" still applies (though fading). I enjoyed seeing the pictures of grapes with bees/wasps on the clusters. We had an old block of head trained Semillon (planted in the 1930's) that took forever to sugar up. I knew it was "physiologically ripe" when it attracted bees and wasps, regardless of the Brix. Finally figured out it was when the grapes were creating the aromatics (volatile esthers) that attracted the bees.
Thankfully in my 50 + years of growing grapes in Northern California (mostly Sonoma County, but time in Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Napa counties), bee/wasp damage has never been significant, though they can be thick on the bins of grapes and around the crusher. Something about feeding on sugar makes them not aggressive, so as long as you don't contact one (or have a sausage in your pocket) they are only a minor nuisance.
It’s funny as I’ve met (and sold wine to) several people that stated they like sweet wines but ended up liking absolutely bone dry, but aromatic and fruit forward wines. As someone with a massive sweet tooth, I absolutely get the impulse to aim for sweet wines as at the very least, the sweetness represents a consistent element of the tasting experience, while many dry wines (in style) can feel much more variable to the inexperienced drinker. That’s a theory anyway.
Interesting! I often hear the opposite—that people "talk dry but drink sweet." This is especially true for sparkling wines, where 3 to 6 grams buffs sharp edges and 12 to 15 makes the wine feel rounder, more expansive.
Newer wine drinkers are sometimes put off by tannin, acidity, and alcohol, and sweetness feels familiar.
That’s the thing, I think that familiarity is key. Pronounced fruit and aromatics do however soften the expression of a wine and hint at sweetness even if there is none, which I guess why I’ve seen those responses. Some people of course still think anything that isn’t effectively Madeira is too dry, and that’s ok too.
Some people drink Coca-Cola with breakfast, and some put eight teaspoons of sugar in their tea. Sweetness is all around us, all the time, in nearly every processed food, and so dryness is, for many, an acquired taste.
Dry Riesling from the Mosel (especially the Saar and Ruwer) can have between 10 and 12 percent alcohol.
Yes, and the Finger Lakes, too, although that’s becoming less common.
Oh the number of Austrian Rieslings that people have called “sweet” just pains me as a Riesling advocate. Yeah the fruit implies sweetness, but the bottle style seems to trick the brain.
Indeed! Ripe does not mean sweet. Plus, there’s nothing wrong with sweet Riesling. It’s sad that it’s so disparaged.
Great overview of dryness in wine! If memory serves, Brut Nature simply means no dosage was added, but up to 3g/L of RS is still permitted, so it may not be sugarless—but it’ll certainly be among the champagnes with the lowest RS. It’s an important distinction if you’re avoiding sugar for health reasons.
Brut Nature may have up to 3 g/L, but it cannot be added during the dosage, it must be trace sugar, likely non-fermenting. It’s a legal tolerance but in essence means the most sugar-free of the styles.
Great explanation for "dry wine". The old cliche regarding Americans (USA version) "talk dry, drink sweet" still applies (though fading). I enjoyed seeing the pictures of grapes with bees/wasps on the clusters. We had an old block of head trained Semillon (planted in the 1930's) that took forever to sugar up. I knew it was "physiologically ripe" when it attracted bees and wasps, regardless of the Brix. Finally figured out it was when the grapes were creating the aromatics (volatile esthers) that attracted the bees.
Excellent marker. 🍇 🐝 I often to travel in wine regions at harvest and the wasps can be thick (and cause considerable damage).
Thankfully in my 50 + years of growing grapes in Northern California (mostly Sonoma County, but time in Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Napa counties), bee/wasp damage has never been significant, though they can be thick on the bins of grapes and around the crusher. Something about feeding on sugar makes them not aggressive, so as long as you don't contact one (or have a sausage in your pocket) they are only a minor nuisance.
It’s funny as I’ve met (and sold wine to) several people that stated they like sweet wines but ended up liking absolutely bone dry, but aromatic and fruit forward wines. As someone with a massive sweet tooth, I absolutely get the impulse to aim for sweet wines as at the very least, the sweetness represents a consistent element of the tasting experience, while many dry wines (in style) can feel much more variable to the inexperienced drinker. That’s a theory anyway.
Interesting! I often hear the opposite—that people "talk dry but drink sweet." This is especially true for sparkling wines, where 3 to 6 grams buffs sharp edges and 12 to 15 makes the wine feel rounder, more expansive.
Newer wine drinkers are sometimes put off by tannin, acidity, and alcohol, and sweetness feels familiar.
That’s the thing, I think that familiarity is key. Pronounced fruit and aromatics do however soften the expression of a wine and hint at sweetness even if there is none, which I guess why I’ve seen those responses. Some people of course still think anything that isn’t effectively Madeira is too dry, and that’s ok too.
Some people drink Coca-Cola with breakfast, and some put eight teaspoons of sugar in their tea. Sweetness is all around us, all the time, in nearly every processed food, and so dryness is, for many, an acquired taste.