Dry

A wine is considered dry when the sugar is largely fermented and little residual sweetness remains. Under EU rules dry wine may contain up to 4 grams of residual sugar per litre, and with sufficient acidity higher values up to a maximum of 9 grams per litre are allowed.

Perceived sweetness therefore also depends on acidity: a wine with pronounced acidity tastes drier at the same sugar level. Dry does not necessarily mean sour or austere; it describes only the amount of sugar. The applicable regulations are decisive.