Wine Sweetness Scale

Wine sweetness (or wine dryness) is determined not only by the amount of sugar in a wine, but also by acidity, alcohol content, and the presence of compounds called tannins.

Below is an easy to read wine sweetness chart showing most popular varieties of red and white wines, and how sweet or dry they taste. Keep in mind that individual wine types can vary between makers, so this chart should be used as a general reference to help you pick a wine suited to your tastes.

Red Wine Sweetness Chart

Red Wine
Sweetness
Red Wine Varieties
(Click a wine name for a description and food pairings)
Very Dry  (0/00) BordeauxChiantiMontepulciano
Off Dry  (1-2) BeaujolaisBurgundy
Cabernet FrancSangioveseValpolicella
Medium  (3-4) Cabernet Sauvignon
GrenacheMalbecMerlotShiraz/SyrahZinfandel
Sweet  (5-6) Port
Very Sweet  (7+) Ice Wine

White Wine Sweetness Chart

White Wine
Sweetness
White Wine Varieties
(Click a wine name for a description and food pairings)
Very Dry  (0/00) Chenin BlancPinot Grigio
Off Dry  (1-2) ChardonnayPinot GrisSauvignon BlancSemillon
Medium  (3-4) GewurztraminerMoscato/MuscatRiesling
Sweet  (5-6) Sauternes
Very Sweet  (7+) Ice Wine

To see all red and white wine descriptions and food pairings, click below:

Red Wine Descriptions
and Food Pairings
White Wine Descriptions
and Food Pairings

Thank you for visiting winedryness.com!
If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us at
info@winedryness.com