Could someone, please, list for me in descending or ascending order, the
reds and the whites, by varietal, according to sweetness down to dryness?

Please try to cover them all, I've just inherited these wines and don't know
much about them.

TIA

Need more info, FerdyPooh. Sweetness/dryness is more of a
winemaking-style issue than a grape variety issue. If you list exactly
what you have, someone smarter than I will be able to help you.

In ,
FerdyPooh > typed:

> Could someone, please, list for me in descending or ascending
> order,
> the reds and the whites, by varietal, according to sweetness
> down to
> dryness?


It doesn't work that way.How sweet a wine is is not a function of
what grape variety it's made from, but of *how* the wine is made.

Take riesling, for example. Although often thought of as a
"sweet" wine, it's not true. It can range from very sweet to bone
dry, depending on how much sugar was in the particular grapes in
the particular vineyard in the particular vintage, and depending
on what the winemaker wanted to accomplish.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

OK, here goes:

Cab
Shiraz
Chardonnay
Eyquem
Riesling
Grenache
Muscat
Zin
Muscadet
Syrah
Malbec
Chenin Blanc
Pinno Pinotage
Ferme
Tokay
Alsace
Sangre De Toro
Petite Sirah
Pinot Noir
Sauvignon Blanc
Viognier


Thanks again


"AyTee" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Need more info, FerdyPooh. Sweetness/dryness is more of a
> winemaking-style issue than a grape variety issue. If you list exactly
> what you have, someone smarter than I will be able to help you.
>

"FerdyPooh" > skrev i melding
...
> OK, here goes:
>
> Riesling
Hi
This is a grape variety originally grown in Germany and which has spread
around the globe.
It is picked in various stages of ripeness, even when overripe and 'rotten'
(noble rot) and so has any amount of sugar in the juice, from slightly sweet
to heavily loaded.
Now, during fermentation sugar is converted into alcohol. If all sugar is
consumed the resulting wine will be bone dry, of course.
If fermentation is stopped at any point there will be residual sugar. The
amount may vary from a few grammes per litre to up to 200 grammes per litre.
It will be the wine maker who determines the optimum processing for any
given batch of grapes.

So with this background information you'll see that an answer for Riesling
is impossible...

However, almost all red wines are traditionally fermented dry or almost dry
with RS (residual sugar) varying from 1 to 4 grammes per litre.

You list something called Eyquem. If that should be d'Yquem it is one of
the worlds sweetest and expensivest wines (200-400USD a bottle)
If your Tokay is the real stuff from Hungaria it is probably very sweet too
(we need label information)
Muscat is often made in a sweet style.
The rest is most likely all dry.
hth
Anders

"FerdyPooh" > wrote:

> Cab Shiraz Chardonnay Eyquem Riesling Grenache Muscat Zin
> Muscadet Syrah Malbec Chenin Blanc Pinno Pinotage Ferme Tokay
> Alsace Sangre De Toro Petite Sirah Pinot Noir Sauvignon Blanc
> Viognier

This list is impressive, however completely useless.

We need the complete information including name of the wine,
grower, etc. On some of the new world wines you will find the
amount of residual sugar (RS) in small print, given as a
percentage or in grams/liter.

From a very first glance, most might be on the dry side, with the
possible/probable exception of Tokay (where does that come from?),
Zin, and Riesling. The only one that must be dry by law is
Muscadet (if it's the original thing from France).

M.

"Anders Tørneskog" > wrote:

> You list something called Eyquem. If that should be d'Yquem it
> is one of the worlds sweetest and expensivest wines (200-400USD
> a bottle)

No, Eyquem is a red Côtes de Bourg:

<http://www.cotes-de-bourg.com/detexp.asp?varCompare=41>

M.

P.S.: Christie's quite some time ago auctioned Eyquem wrongly printed
Yquem in their catalogue. With red faces they had to taker the wine
back.

P.P.S.: Montaigne's full name is Michel Eyquem de Montaigne.

"Michael Pronay" > skrev i melding
...
>
> No, Eyquem is a red Côtes de Bourg:
>
> <http://www.cotes-de-bourg.com/detexp.asp?varCompare=41>
>
> P.S.: Christie's quite some time ago auctioned Eyquem wrongly printed
> Yquem in their catalogue. With red faces they had to taker the wine
> back.
>
Ah, thanks Michael - there is always something new to learn about! One of
these petits chteaux, simple but well made wines, I'd guess then, also
judging from their prices; 5-6Euros a bottle ex chteau.
Anders

The Tokay is a Campbell's Rutherglen (no vintage on label) half bottle from
Australia----

Thanks so much for all your help (although I must admit, I did get a little
excited about the Eyquem comments)



"Michael Pronay" > wrote in message
...
> "FerdyPooh" > wrote:
>
> > Cab Shiraz Chardonnay Eyquem Riesling Grenache Muscat Zin
> > Muscadet Syrah Malbec Chenin Blanc Pinno Pinotage Ferme Tokay
> > Alsace Sangre De Toro Petite Sirah Pinot Noir Sauvignon Blanc
> > Viognier
>
> This list is impressive, however completely useless.
>
> We need the complete information including name of the wine,
> grower, etc. On some of the new world wines you will find the
> amount of residual sugar (RS) in small print, given as a
> percentage or in grams/liter.
>
> From a very first glance, most might be on the dry side, with the
> possible/probable exception of Tokay (where does that come from?),
> Zin, and Riesling. The only one that must be dry by law is
> Muscadet (if it's the original thing from France).
>
> M.

"FerdyPooh" > wrote:

> The Tokay is a Campbell's Rutherglen (no vintage on label) half
> bottle from Australia--

That's on the very sweet side.

M.

> It doesn't work that way.How sweet a wine is is not a function of
> what grape variety it's made from, but of *how* the wine is made.
>

Precisely. I shared this listing of the "levels" of Austrian wines some
time back- you might find it helpful:

The amount of must sugar in percent of weight in a wine is measured in
units called KMW (Klosterneuburger Mostwaage.) Folks more familiar with
the =D6chsle scale can get a close conversion by multiplying the KMW by
5=2E If you're Italian, the degrees KMW is the same as degrees Babo.

The basic quality designations used in Austria are Tafelwein, Landwein,
Qualit=E4tswein, Kabinett, and Pr=E4dikatswein (which includes Sp=E4tlese,
Auslese, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese)

TAFELWEIN is basically "table wine." It has at least 10.6=B0 KMW,
and it is permitted to add sugar to the must.

LANDWEIN is "land wine." Usually served as the house wine. It is
classed under the general category of Tafelwein, but is required to
show its region of origin on the label. The minimum is 14=B0 KMW.
Sugar can be added.

QUALIT=C4TSWEIN (or "quality wine") These wines have a minimum of
15=B0 KMW, and the label must go one step further than Landwein and show
its specific wine growing area. (Austria has 4 main wine growing
regions, which are then divided into 19 recognized wine growing areas.)
You can add sugar up to 19=B0 KMW in white wines, and up to 20=B0 KMW in
red wines.

KABINETT: This goes under the broader category of Qualit=E4tswein, but
must have a minimum of 17=B0 KMW, a maximum alcohol by volume of 13%,
and a maximum residual sugar level of 9 g/l. You may not add sugar to
the must.

PR=C4DIKATSWEIN: This is the category which encompasses Sp=E4tlese,
Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, Schilfwein, Trockenbeerenauslese and
Ausbruch, which each have their own minimum and maximum KMW levels.

SP=C4TLESE: This category has a minimum of 19=B0 KMW, and the addition of
grape must for sweetening is not permitted (as it is in Germany.)
These wines may be sold after March 1, while the other Pr=E4dikatsweins
cannot be sold until after May 1st. The word translates to mean
"late harvest"

AUSLESE: The word means "selection" in German, and it's used in
the trade to describe the perfectly ripened grapes that are hand
selected and pressed separately from the other grapes. This one is a
little bit sweet, but can still be enjoyed as a "drinking" wine.
Minimum of 21=B0 KMW.

BEERENAUSLESE: "Selected berries." The grapes are left to ripen
even longer than in any previous category, and so have even more
residual sugar. Add to that some mold known as "noble rot"
(botrytis cinerea), which causes the grapes to shrivel and concentrate
even more, and we have moved into the realm of dessert wines. The
minimum KMW is 25=B0. You will often see this abbreviated as "BA."

EISWEIN (Ice Wine): These wines are made from grapes left on the vine
until the cold weather and frosts arrive. They must be picked at night
to insure that the temperature remains below freezing until the grapes
are harvested and pressed. In this way, the water left in the grape is
frozen, so only the most concentrated of flavors comes out. It has a
minimum 25=B0 KMW.

SCHILFWEIN: Also known as Strohwein, it is a method of making dessert
wines. The grapes are harvested late and then air dried on straw or
reed mats for at least three months to concentrate their flavor. In
the Burgenland region, the mats are made from the reeds which grow
along the edges of the Neusidler lake. Some vintners then lay these
mats out on shelves in long, long, football field length tunnels
constructed from wood and thick plastic sheeting. This both protects
the grapes from predators and acts as a kind of greenhouse. Minimum of
25=B0 KMW.

AUSBRUCH: This refers to a method of making dessert wine from grapes
affected by noble rot. The production method originally came from
Hungary where it is used in the making of Tokaji. RUSTER AUSBRUCH is a
kind of Ausbruch which can only be produced in the town of Rust. The
minimum for an Ausbruch is 27=B0 KMW.

TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE: The sweetest of the sweets, also called TBA.
These "dry selected berries" (that's what the word means) are
left on the vine until they are, you guessed it, pretty much dried out
and have gone through a big bout of noble rot. This makes them very
concentrated and results in some pretty spectacular dessert wines. The
minimum level is 30=B0 KMW, if that gives you an indication of just how
sweet this baby is.

In the Wachau region, wines are broken down on the following residual
sugar scale:
EXTRA DRY (extra trocken) =3D up to 4 g/l
DRY (trocken) =3D up to 9 g/l
OFF-DRY (halbtrocken) =3D 9 g/l to 12 g/l
OFF-SWEET (lieblich) =3D 12 g/l to 45 g/l
SWEET (s=FCss) =3D over 45 g/l

> skrev i melding
oups.com...


KABINETT: This goes under the broader category of Qualitätswein, but
must have a minimum of 17° KMW, a maximum alcohol by volume of 13%,
and a maximum residual sugar level of 9 g/l. You may not add sugar to
the must.

PRÄDIKATSWEIN: This is the category which encompasses Spätlese,
Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, Schilfwein, Trockenbeerenauslese and
Ausbruch, which each have their own minimum and maximum KMW levels.

SPÄTLESE: This category has a minimum of 19° KMW, and the addition of
grape must for sweetening is not permitted (as it is in Germany.)
These wines may be sold after March 1, while the other Prädikatsweins
cannot be sold until after May 1st. The word translates to mean
"late harvest"

If you are right, the Austrian designations are somewhat different from the
German.
PRÄDIKATSWEIN in Germany includes Kabinett. No Prädikatswein may have sugar
added.
However, so called "sweet reserve", i.e. sterilized grape must (to prevent
fermentation) may be added to make the final wine sweeter. This practice is
not common any more, not with the serious producers at the least.
Anders

wrote:

> PRÄDIKATSWEIN: This is the category which encompasses Spätlese,
> Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, Schilfwein,
> Trockenbeerenauslese and Ausbruch, which each have their own
> minimum and maximum KMW levels.

Minimum is true, maximum not. It is always possible to understate.

> In the Wachau region, wines are broken down on the following
> residual sugar scale:
>
> EXTRA DRY (extra trocken) = up to 4 g/l
> DRY (trocken) = up to 9 g/l
> OFF-DRY (halbtrocken) = 9 g/l to 12 g/l
> OFF-SWEET (lieblich) = 12 g/l to 45 g/l
> SWEET (süss) = over 45 g/l

These levels have nothing to do with Wachau, but are compulsory
labelling for all Austrian wines, and the sugar levels are not even
Austria-specific, but EU limits.

What is Wachau-specific are these designations (no chaptalisation
permitted, all have to be dry):

Steinfeder: 9 to 11%
Federspiel: 11 to 12,5%
Smaragd: 12,5% and more.

M.

The Kobrand Website

http://www.kobrandwine.com/

lists the Technical Details, Incuding Total Sugar, Brix at Harvest,
Varietals, etc. for many of their 400 or so wines.

There's also a basic 'Grape Library' and fairly extensive 'Wine Map
Library' there.



FerdyPooh wrote:
> Could someone, please, list for me in descending or ascending order, the
> reds and the whites, by varietal, according to sweetness down to dryness?
>
> Please try to cover them all, I've just inherited these wines and don't know
> much about them.
>
> TIA
>
>
>
>