Wine is classified in a number of ways and according to many different criteria. Hence we have, white vs red wines, dessert vs sparkling wines, varietal vs regional wines and dry vs sweet wines. As you can see, wines are classified according to criteria such as: colour, alcohol content, origin and sugar content.
You’ve probably noticed that some, let’s say red wines have very sweet taste while others don’t. Have you ever asked yourself why is this so. The first thing that will probably come to your mind is that maybe winemakers add sugar to the wine. This is partly true. There are other factors that affect the sugar content and the sweetness of the wine.
Grape Ripeness
Different grape sorts achieve different stage of ripeness. Grapes that ripe well have higher sugar content and the wines which are made from such grapes are sweeter. On the other hand, if the grape is not well-riped, the result is a wine with higher acidity and lower sugar content. What affects the way the grapes ripe are the weather conditions in the region where the grape is cultivated. Hence the red wines produced in regions with warmer climate are sweet, while the red wines made in regions with cooler temperature are mostly dry.
Harvesting Method
Different winemakers make wine following different harvesting methods. Some of them expose the harvested grapes to sunlight for certain period of time. This way, the the sugar content in the grapes gets more concentrated. This harvesting method is often performed for making dessert wines. On the other hand, there’s a harvesting method during which the grapes are left on the vine until they freeze and after that the grapes are picked. It is believed that when the water inside the grape freezes the concentration of the sweetness increases.
Duration of Fermentation
The duration of the fermentation process is directly associated with the sweetness of the wine. Namely, dry white and red wines are made when the the grapes ferment for longer period, while the shorter the fermentation, the sweeter the wine will be. For this reason winemakers control the fermentation depending on the wine sweetness they want to achieve.
Adding Sugar
Although adding sugar is not a common wine making practice, it is possible to find red wines with added sugar. However, this is strictly controlled practice. In some countries it is allowed to add sugar in wine but it must be performed under strict regulations, while in other countries it is banned.
