sugar content of wine

by Paul Drake
(Crescent Head NSW)

Paul Asks:
Is there a ready reckoner for sugar content, so that the buyer knows if it is sweet or dry?

What is sugar content of the chambourcin variety amongst others?

Darby Answers
Unfortunately there is no simple way for a wine consumer to know if a wine is sweet or dry until he or she tastes it. This the downside of varietal labeling as practiced in the New World.

There are moves to include a standard indicator on the label for some wines, eg Riesling.

As a general rule red wines are dry unless clearly marked otherwise. Whites tend to be less well defined, late picked or late harvest often means sweet.

Chambourcin wines are generally dry, but as they are grown in warmer climates some can have a touch of residual sugar.