Dry White Wine

When fermented fully – i.e. with all the sugar in the grapes converted into alcohol – most white wines are dry. It is only if fermentation is stopped midway through, or grapes are left on the vine for late-harvest or to develop botrytis, or are dried after being picked, thereby concentrating their sugars, that white wines are sweet. The main defining feature of the style of a dry white wine is the grape variety, and where and how it is grown. So-called ‘aromatic’ varieties such as Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc tend to yield racy, zesty wines with high-acidity, whereas ‘rounder’ varieties such as Chardonnay produce fatter, more generously textured wines, often accentuated by oak ageing. Dry white wine is made only from the juice on the inside of the grape, not the skin on the outside, so can, in theory, be made from grape varieties with coloured skins – the red Pinot Noir is harnessed in the making of Champagne, for example.