International Standard for the Labelling of Wines

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Type of wine

3.1.6              Type of wine[1]

Terms relating to the sugar content are as follows:

a)      Dry, when the wine contains a maximum of 4 g/l of glucose plus fructose or 9 g/l when the acidity strength totals (expressed in grams of tartaric acid per litre) is not less than 2 g/l to glucose plus fructose strength.

b)       

c)      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

d)      Mellow or semi-sweet, when the wine contains more than the figures aimed for in the second drawing off and achieves at the most 45 g/l.

e)      Sweet, when the wine contains a glucose plus fructose strength of at least 45 g/l.


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