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The sweetness of a wine is defined by the level of residual sugar (or RS) in the final liquid after the fermentation has ceased. However, how sweet the wine will actually taste is also controlled by factors such as the acidity and alcohol levels, the amount of tannin present, and whether the wine is sparkling. For example, a sweet wine such as a Vouvray can actually taste dry due to the high level of acidity, or a dry wine can taste sweet if the alcohol level is elevated.

In recent decades, an increase in the population who only occasionally drink wine has led to an increase in the sweetness of many cheap wines, and as a result, medium and sweet wines have a perception among many drinkers of being of lower quality than dry wines. However, many of the world's great wines, such as those from Sauternes, Barsac or Tokaj, have a high level of residual sugar which is carefully balanced with additional acidity to produce a harmonious result.

The European Union lays down sweetness terms ^{[1] [2]}

In Article 16 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 753/2002 of 29 April 2002 the following terms may only be used on the labels of table wines, table wines with a geographical indication and quality wines psr, with the exception of the quality liqueur wines psr and quality semi-sparkling wines psr covered by Article 39(1)(b):

(a) sec, trocken, secco, asciutto, dry, tør, ξηρός, seco, kuiva, droog or torrt, on condition that the wine concerned has a residual sugar content not exceeding: (i) 4 grams per litre; or (ii) 9 grams per litre, provided that the total acidity expressed as grams of tartaric acid per litre is not more than 2 grams below the residual sugar content;

(b) demi-sec, halbtrocken, abboccato, medium dry, halvtør, ημίξηρος, semiseco, meio seco, adamado, puolikuiva, halfdroog or halvtorrt, on condition that the wine concerned has a residual sugar content in excess of the maximum set at (a) but not exceeding: (i) 12 grams per litre; or (ii) 18 grams per litre, where the minimum total acidity has been set by the Member State under paragraph 2;

(c) moelleux, lieblich, amabile, medium, medium sweet, halvsød, ημίγλυκος, semidulce, meio doce, puolimakea, halfzoet or halvsftt, on condition that the wine concerned has a residual sugar content higher than the maximum set at (b) but not more than 45 grams per litre;

(d) doux, süss, dolce, sweet, sød, γλυκός, dulce, doce, makea, zoet or sftt, on condition that the wine concerned has a residual sugar content of at least 45 grams per litre.

Sparkling wines have different ratings. Here are the terms in Cava - Champagne has French translations of the same in the same bands: ^[3]

Brut Nature - (no added sugar) up to 3 g per litre

Extra Brut - up to 6 g per litre

Brut - up to 15 g per litre

Extra seco - between 12 and 20 g per litre

Seco - between 17 and 35 g per litre

Semi-seco - between 33 and 50 g per litre

Dulce - more than 50 g per litre

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The region of Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary has a more graduated terminology to describe Tokaji Aszú dessert wines:

Within the United States wine industry the sweetness of must and wine is measured in degrees brix.

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Similarly, within Germany must/wine sweetness is measured with the Öchsle scale and below are ranges for Riesling

Kabinett - 67-82 °Oe

Spätlese - 76-90 °Oe

Auslese - 83-100 °Oe

Beerenauslese and Eiswein - 110-128 °Oe (Eiswein is made by late harvesting grapes after they have frozen on the vine and not necessarily affected by noble rot, botrytis, which is the case with Beerenauslese)

Trockenbeerenauslese - 150-154 °Oe (affected by botrytis)

In Vintage: the story of Wine Hugh Johnson details several methods that have been used throughout history to sweeten wine. The most common way was to harvest the grapes as late as possible. This method was advocated by Virgil and Martial in Roman times. In contrast the ancient Greeks would harvest the grapes early, to preserve some of their acidity, and then leave them in the sun for a few days to allow them to shrivel and concentrate their sugar. In Crete a similar effect was achieved by twisting the stalks of the grape bunches to deprive them of sap and letting them dry on the vine - a method that produced passum and the modern Italian equivalent, passito.

Stopping the fermentation also enhanced a wine's potential sweetness - the German method Süssreserve. In ancient times this was achieved by submerging the amphoras in cold water till winter.^[4] A similar concept is achieved today with the use of modern technology in cold stabilization.

Wine can also be sweetened by the addition of sugar in some form after fermentation is completed. In Roman times this was done in preparing mulsum, wine freshly sweetened with honey and flavoured with spices, used as an apéritif, and also in the manufacture of conditum, which had similar ingredients but was matured and stored before drinking.

1. ^ See European Union COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 753/2002 of 29 April 2002 web site
2. ^ See Warren Edwardes' Blog 1
3. ^ See Warren Edwardes' Blog 2
4. ^ Hugh Johnson, Vintage: The Story of Wine pgs 70-71. Simon and Schuster 1989