International Code of Oenological Practices

Download document

Complementary definitions relating to sugar content

I.3.2 Complementary definitions relating to sugar content[1]

The wine is said to be :

  • Dry, when the wine contains a maximum of either 4 g/l sugar or 9 g/l when the level of total acidity (expressed in grams of tartaric acid per litre) is no more than 2 g/l less than the sugar content.
  • Medium dry, when the sugar content of the wine is higher than the sugar content indicated under the first bullet point and does not exceeds
    • 12 g/l or
    • 18 g/l, when the difference between the sugar content and the level of total acidity expressed in g/l of tartaric acid does not exceed 10g/l when the sugar content of the wine is more than that specified in the first bullet point, up to a maximum of either 12 g/l or 18 g/l when the content in total acidity is fixed according to the first bullet point above.
  • Semi-sweet, when the sugar content of the wine is more than that specified in the second bullet point, up to a maximum of 45 g/l.
  • Sweet, when the wine has a minimum sugar content of 45 g/l

[1] sugar content is determined by the “glucose + fructose” method of analysis described in the International Compendium of Methods of Analysis