(TheGlobeandMail) - Question

Some wineries add sugar to dry red wines after fermentation so that they taste “smoother” to the palate. How can I find out how much sugar is in what I am drinking?

Answer

To find out how much sugar might have been added to a given wine, your best bet may be to contact the producer directly.

“Wine is by nature somewhat acidic, and adjustments can help to balance the elements of sweet and sour,” Nancy Light, vice-president of communications for Wine Institute, the main advocacy association for the California wine industry, said in an e-mail. “Winemakers are permitted by government regulations to make sweetness adjustments after fermentation to achieve desired wine styles.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a 5-ounce glass of red table wine typically contains about 0.9 grams of total sugar, while a glass of chardonnay contains about 1.4 grams. A sweet dessert wine, typically served in a smaller 2- to 3-ounce glass, contains as much as 7 grams of sugar. Depending on where the wine was made, the total may include added sugar or sugar from unfermented grape juice, along with the sugar that occurs naturally in the grapes.