Have you ever stood at the wine aisle thinking to yourself, “Why does that bottle of wine cost twenty bucks when another one over there looks nearly identical but tastes completely different?” Or, “I picked out this wine because I wanted something sweet, but turns out it’s dry. The reason for your confusion: sweetness isn’t all about sugar. Rather, it’s a combination of three things: alcohol, acidity, and residual sugar. Knowing how those component interact will make choosing wine less confusing.
This range is clearly depicted in a visual guide. On one end are dry wines without any trace of sweetness, while at the other end are sweet dessert wines that taste like honey. Where do your favorite wine fall along this spectrum? What shifts once you know?
How to Pick Your Wine
Most people starting out learn to associate Sauvignon Blanc as being consistantly tart and crisp. While that’s typically accurate (it has only slight amounts of residual sugar), if you switch to an off-dry Riesling, the wine remains crisp but there’s also a touch of peachy sweetness. This bit of sugar balance out pork dishes or spicy Thai curries where a dry wine might clash.
White wines are not all created equal in this situation either. Again, looking at the chart we see that Chardonnay and Riesling falls into the category of dry wines. Red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir derive their body from tannins rather than sugar; thus, they works well with fat-rich proteins (such as lamb or steak) because the fat coating your mouth is going to soften those tannins. Since there is no sweetness the wine won’t feel heavy alongside the savory herbs. On the other hand, you wouldn’t want to try to match a super-sweet red wine with a delicate salad, it would overpower the dish.
So knowing the grape isn’t enough, it’s important to know the category too. Then there are sparklers which tend to be a stumbling block for most people as well, adding yet another part to the equation. Sparkling wine, such as Prosecco and Champagne, range from quite sweet (Demi-Sec) to nearly no sugar at all (Brut Nature). Although Brut is what most people select; after all, that’s just how sparkling wine is… It can also complement rather than cut through some dishes like fruit tarts or creamy fried foods. Try something a bit more on the sweet side and see if you don’t prefer it.
Match the sweetness of your wine to the intensity of the dish. How you taste them is also largely influenced by temperature. Chilling a sweet wine (between forty-five and fifty degrees Fahrenheit) brings out its sharper acid, making the sugar seem more balanced and bright whereas having it too warm will make it feel heavy on the tongue.
Getting the right glass also directs the aromas to your nose first, before the liquid ever touches your palate. The bigger glass with the wider bowl let big reds breathe and mellow out their rougher edges. The smaller dessert glass focuses the big ol’ aromas of Sauternes or Port into something that doesn’t overwhelm.
The bottom line: This chart doesn’t represent hard-and-fast rules, only guides for exploration. What’s too dry for one person may be perfectly palatable for another… Remember, we all have our own palates. Begin with locating where you fall on this spectrum, then experiment from there. If you love fruity white wines, choose a slightly more off-dry option initially and see if you can edge towards the drier end of the scale. You’ll start to pick up on those textural differences you couldn’t notice because of the sweetness.
It isn’t about memorizing the terms so much as it is learning to enjoy them. Have a bottle of something crisp chilling in the fridge for balmy summer evenings and hold back on that sweet dessert wine until the bitter winter cold calls for some warmth. Wine is your adventure; and the most enjoyable glass is always your favorite.