WINE TERM: residual sugar
by Farley
Residual sugar (noun): the percentage of natural grape fructose–sugar–that remains in wine AFTER fermentation. Typically detected more easily at 1%. Less than that, and a wine is considered dry. Off-dry wines may have up to 6% and dessert wines up to 30%. Late harvest wines tend to have higher RS, as they have stayed on the vines longer, increasing the sugar levels.
Some wines receive the addition of unfermented must to raise the sugar level or even regular table sugar (usually lower quality wines).
When the RS gets very high, it becomes important that the wine be balanced, usually with acidity and alcohol.
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October 31st, 2006 at 1:09 pm
You know why I like this entry? Because you just taught me something very, very useful. I don’t like dry wine (unlike my mother who likes “trocken! trocken!”) but prefer sweet stuff. Thanks!