Semi-sweet and sweet wines are often confused, as are other sweet wines such as those from late harvests or natural sweet wines. However, these wines are indeed all different. Domaine du Goût helps you see more clearly.
Semi-sweet or sweet wine, what’s the difference?
First, let’s recall that semi-sweet and sweet wines only concern white wines. The main differences between these wines lie primarily in the residual sugar content, that is, the sugars not converted into alcohol in the wine. Their winemaking process is also different.
Semi-sweet wines
Generally, dry wines are considered to contain on average 4 grams of sugar per liter of wine. Off-dry wines contain between 4 and 12 grams of sugar per liter. Semi-sweet wines have a sugar content of 10 to 45 grams per liter. Beyond 45 grams of sugar, it is a sweet wine. The winemaking of semi-sweet wines is a specific process. Grape selection is a crucial step. Indeed, semi-sweet wines are made from grapes harvested in over-maceration or affected by noble rot. The dehydrated grape loses water and thus concentrates in sugar. This over-maceration process also results in wines with a higher alcohol level. These semi-sweet wines will have a soft, velvety, and creamy mouthfeel. The producing regions for these wines are numerous. The best-known regions are the Southwest with wines like Côtes-de-Bergerac or Gaillac. The Loire Valley is also one of the main producing regions, notably with its famous Coteaux-du-Layon.
Sweet wines
Sweet wines contain the highest amount of sugar. More complex and concentrated than semi-sweet wines, they also keep longer, up to several decades. Sweeter, sweet wines contain a sugar level above 45g/L.
Sweet wines result from noble rot involving botrytis, a fungus that concentrates sugar in the grape berries. They can also result from passerillage, a method of over-ripening by naturally drying the grapes by exposing them to the sun or on a straw bed to evaporate water, achieving a high concentration of sugar and alcohol. On the palate, sweet wines are much sweeter and richer in alcohol than semi-sweet wines; these characteristics give them the name sweet wines, recalling liqueurs. The producing regions for sweet wines are Alsace, the Loire Valley, and the Southwest, with the most famous among them being Sauternes and Monbazillac.
What about natural sweet wines, late harvests, and selection of noble berries?
Natural sweet wines
Natural sweet wines come from a traditional winemaking process similar to classic wines. Their difference lies in the addition of 90° alcohol at the start of fermentation. This process stops fermentation. The wine will also be richer in alcohol but also richer in natural sugars, hence the name “natural sweet wine.” Unlike semi-sweet and sweet wines, there are natural sweet red, white, and rosé wines. Among the most renowned are Rivesaltes, Banyuls, and Maury, from the Roussillon region.
The specificity of Alsace
The Alsace region is a special case. Indeed, this rich wine territory has two unique appellations of sweet wines.
The first is Vendanges Tardives. Vendanges Tardives come from certain unique and authorized grape varieties (Pinot Gris, Muscat Gewurztraminer, Riesling) whose grapes are hand-harvested as late as possible. These grape varieties are naturally rich in sugar (between 200 and 243 grams per liter).
The second appellation is Sélection de Grains Nobles, made from berries affected by noble rot, with a slightly higher sugar content (from 255 to 279 grams per liter).
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