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. A glass of red wine Wine is an alcoholic beverage that is made by fermenting grapes or grape juice. ... After fermentation has ended in the process of wine making, the residual sugar (or RS) is the measure of the amount of sugars that remain unfermented in the resulting wine. ... In its strictest sense, fermentation (formerly called zymnosis) is the energy-yielding anaerobic metabolic breakdown of a nutrient molecule, such as glucose, without net oxidation. ... In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-khwl الكحول, or al-ghawl الغول) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ... Tannins are astringent, bitter-tasting plant polyphenols that bind and precipitate proteins. ... Vouvray is a town 10 km east of Tours in the Indre-et-Loire département of France. ...

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. Sauternes is a commune of the Gironde département in France. ... Barsac is a town on the left bank of the Garonne river in the Gironde département in south west France. ... Tokaji, meaning of Tokaj in Hungarian, is used to label wines from the wine region of Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary. ...

Terms used to indicate sweetness of wine

The principal wine-producing countries of Europe use different terms to indicate the rough level of residual sugar, which is usually measured in grams per liter (as in the table below). World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ...

The region of Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary has a more graduated terminology to describe Tokaji Aszú dessert wines: Tokaj is a historic wine region located in present-day Northeastern Hungary and Southeastern Slovakia (see Tokaj). ... Tokaji, meaning of Tokaj in Hungarian, is used to label wines from the wine region of Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary. ...

Within the United States wine industry the sweetness of must and wine is measured in degrees brix. Must is the juice of freshly pressed grapes, prior to fermentation into wine. ... Brix is a measure of the amount of sugar in a cherry, grape, fruit, or wine etc. ...