When people talk about dry white wine or dry red wine, what does that really mean? Let’s break it down.
There are many ways to describe a wine or describe what you taste, and ‘dry’ is one of them. It does not exactly translate to the sensory experience in the mouth, it doesn’t mean that your mouth is physically dry, but rather it refers to the lack of sweetness in a wine.
To be technical, ‘dry wine’ is an industry term used to classify wines that have lower residual sugar per litre, meaning that they typically have a dry, crisp taste. Simply put, a dry wine is a wine that has low residual sugar meaning it is not sweet.
Dry wines have a sliding scale to decipher how dry they are, from very dry, off dry, medium dry, sweet and very sweet. To determine where they sit on the scale depends on the sugar content in these dry wine. The tannic and acid structure can also have an effect on the perception of the dryness of the wine.
From full-bodied reds to light and tangy chardonnays, there are hundreds of different dry wines. If you’re interested in learning about the various flavour profiles of dry white wines and dry red wines, continue reading!
A dry white wine is simply a white wine that has low residual sugar, meaning it is not sweet. The process of producing alcohol is when grape juice converts to wine via the fermentation process because yeast consumes the sugar. Dry white wine is created when the winemaker continues the fermentation process until the yeast has time to consume all the sugar present. Once the sugar content has been consumed by the yeast, there is no sugary sweetness, the wine is therefore dry.
See below a few dry white wines from the De Bortoli portfolio:
The De Bortoli Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is a great example of a dry white wine that is less sweet and more savoury, with fine, mineral, salty flavours providing a wine with texture and charm.
If you are in the mood to explore some other dry white varieties, try our De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate Arneis. It provides a delicate, fragrant, dry white wine with floral, fruity and herbal notes.
Branching out might seem daunting, but it is fun to be a little bit adventurous with your dry white wine choice. The De Bortoli Ti Amo Fiano is the perfect start. Known for its strong, full bodied flavour, the Ti Amo Fiano is a dry white wine that is less sweet, and therefore has notes of sea spray, pear and citrus aromatics as well as briny, salty and nutty flavours. This makes it perfect to pair with seafood or chargrilled cooking.
A dry red wine is wine with minimal residual sugar, that is typically any wine with less than 1% sweetness! As with dry white wine, in order to make dry red wine, the winemaker ferments the grape juice entirely, meaning the yeast consumes all of the sugar in the grape juice. Dry wines are quite popular as they can be paired with many different types of delicious food.
See below a few dry red wines from the De Bortoli portfolio:
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most celebrated dry red wine types. If you want to explore a highly awarded dry red wine, try De Bortoli Wines’ Melba Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. It is known for its dense, mineral flavour profile made from sumptuous dark fruits such as blackcurrants and plums, with notes of liquorice, spice, and vanilla.
A dry red wine that is equally rich in flavour, you cannot go past the De Bortoli The Estate Vineyard Shiraz. A dark fruited aromatic wine where you will experience dry textural flavours, with violet, ripe tannins.
If you are wanting to branch out and try a newer dry red wine type, try the De Bortoli Re-write the Rules Tempranillo. You will experience aromas of charcuterie and earth, it is rich and plump with a bit of crunch. It gives a delicious spicy palate with a hint of savouriness making it a perfect pair for any Mediterranean dish.
The De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate Sangiovese is a deep dark dry red wine that displays savoury, rustic aromas of tobacco, dark berries and herbs. With integrated oak supported by dark earthy notes and fine chalky tannins, this dry red wine is perfect match for your pre-dinner nibbles such as lightly cured meats and vegetables.
Pinot Noir is an ancient variety with origins back to the 14th century! The De Bortoli La Bohème Interlude Pinot Noir will provide you with a textural taste with gentle and supple flavours with violets and spice. Beautifully scented red and dark fruits, you can’t go wrong. Pinot Noir is an ancient variety with origins back to the 14th century! The De Bortoli La Bohème Interlude Pinot Noir will provide you with a textural taste with gentle and supple flavours with violets and spice. Beautifully scented red and dark fruits, you can’t go wrong.
For your next dinner party or special occasion, why not consider one of dry wines from the De Bortoli Wines collection? Our extensive dry wine range includes popular varieties of red and white wines, as well as sparkling, rosé, and fortified varieties. Shop the range here; https://shop.debortoli.com.au/ .
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