Sweet or Dry? Wine Sweetness Chart by Grape
The 8 principal WSET Level 2 grapes and 4 key regional grapes at a glance. Updated 23 September 2026.
Unofficial study resource · not affiliated with or endorsed by WSET®The short answer
Wines from 11 of these 12 grapes are usually dry. The exception is Riesling, which is made in every style from bone dry to lusciously sweet. Fruity is not the same as sweet: ripe fruit, high alcohol and oak can make a dry wine taste sweet.
Sweetness, body, acidity and tannin by grape
| Grape | Usually | Well-known sweet versions | Body | Acidity | Tannin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabernet Sauvignon (red) | Dry | None common | Full | High | High |
| Merlot (red) | Dry | None common | Medium to full | Medium | Medium (softer than Cabernet) |
| Pinot Noir (red) | Dry | None common | Light to medium | High | Low to medium |
| Syrah / Shiraz (red) | Dry | None common | Full | Medium | Medium to high |
| Grenache (red) | Dry | Sweet fortified reds of southern France (Banyuls, Maury) | Medium to full | Low to medium | Medium |
| Sangiovese (red) | Dry | None common | Medium to full | High | High |
| Tempranillo (red) | Dry | None common | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Malbec (red) | Dry | None common | Full | Medium | Medium to high |
| Chardonnay (white) | Dry | None common | Medium to full | Medium | None (white) |
| Sauvignon Blanc (white) | Dry | Sauternes, blended with Sémillon and made from grapes with noble rot | Light to medium | High | None (white) |
| Riesling (white) | Dry to very sweet | Many German styles; noble rot wines and ice wine are very sweet | Light | High | None (white) |
| Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris (white) | Dry | Alsace Pinot Gris can be off-dry; late-harvest versions are sweet | Light to medium | Medium to high | None (white) |
The WSET Level 2 specification names eight principal grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah/Shiraz, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Grigio/Gris. Grenache, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Malbec are among its regionally important grapes.
Why a dry wine can taste sweet
Dry means that almost all the grape sugar was turned into alcohol during fermentation. Three things still make a dry wine seem sweet: ripe fruit flavours such as plum or strawberry, high alcohol, which feels rich and slightly sweet, and new oak, which adds vanilla. Merlot, Grenache and warm-climate Shiraz are the reds most often mistaken for sweet wines.
Label words that tell you the sweetness
For still wines, sec (French), secco (Italian), seco (Spanish) and trocken (German) mean dry. Demi-sec, halbtrocken and feinherb mean off-dry to medium. Doux, dolce, dulce and süß mean sweet. For sparkling wine the EU label terms below set the sugar level; note that Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut.
| Sparkling label | Sugar | Tastes |
|---|---|---|
| Brut Nature | 0-3 g/L | Bone dry |
| Extra Brut | 0-6 g/L | Very dry |
| Brut | Under 12 g/L | Dry |
| Extra Dry | 12-17 g/L | Off-dry (sweeter than Brut) |
| Sec | 17-32 g/L | Medium-dry |
| Demi-Sec | 32-50 g/L | Medium-sweet |
| Doux | Over 50 g/L | Sweet |
Test yourself on grape styles
Grape characteristics are among the most-missed WSET Level 2 topics. Try the free practice questions, then practise with the Eclavin app’s 2,000+ questions.
Download Eclavin on the App StoreFrequently asked questions
Is Merlot sweet or dry?
Merlot is almost always dry. Its soft tannin and ripe plum and chocolate flavours can make it seem sweet, but there is very little sugar in the wine.
Is Chardonnay sweet or dry?
Chardonnay is almost always dry. Oak can add vanilla and malolactic fermentation can add a buttery richness, which some people read as sweetness.
Is Pinot Grigio sweet or dry?
Italian Pinot Grigio is usually dry, light and crisp. The same grape as Alsace Pinot Gris is richer and is sometimes off-dry, and late-harvest versions are sweet.
Is Burgundy wine sweet or dry?
Burgundy wine is dry. Red Burgundy is made from Pinot Noir and white Burgundy, including Chablis, from Chardonnay.
Is Rioja sweet or dry?
Rioja red is dry. It is made mainly from Tempranillo, and oak ageing adds vanilla and coconut notes, not sugar.
Why does a dry wine sometimes taste sweet?
Ripe fruit flavours, high alcohol and vanilla from oak all give an impression of sweetness. A wine can taste fruity and still be dry, because dry only means little sugar is left after fermentation.