Among ordinary wine connoisseurs, there is an opinion that only mature brandy drinks should be taken seriously, and light young options cannot be complex and rich. However, many masters are sure that tasting light dry and semi-dry wines brings maximum benefit and pleasure. The differences between them are in the nuances of the technology: in dry, sugar is completely absent, and in semi-dry its small amount is kept, from five to thirty grams per liter.
Let's try to find out what are the advantages of each type, which wine to choose for a romantic dinner, and are there any negative aspects to these drinks?
A bit of history
Our ancestors loved and knew a lot about the taste characteristics of grape wine. However, until civilization invented devices to stop the fermentation process, people drank only dry wines. Sometimes, if the grown grape harvest was particularly sugary or was harvested after light frosts, a drink was obtained that tastes similar to semi-dry tastes.
The first dry wines ripened for a very long time, until sugar completely disappeared from the composition and fermentation did not stop. Often the difference between dry and semi-dry wine depended only on the type of vine and the number of sunny days in a year.
Gradually, people learned to stop the process of fermentation of grapes by heating grape juice with pulp in a water bath to a certain temperature and pasteurizing it for about 20 minutes. Or, on the contrary, subjecting the wine base to a sharp cooling, about +2 Β° , then the fermentation process froze and there was more sugar in the drink.
Various technologies
Mankind is characterized by a love of experimentation, and gradually manufacturers have learned to select equipment, grape varieties and technology for wine with different taste characteristics. New varieties were added to the familiar ones, and the differences between dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet and sweet wines became more distinct. Even in the regions of one country, the principles and methods of making local types of drinks could be very different.
And when the producers learned to artificially stop the base fermentation by adding alcohol, which killed the yeast at the right time, the differences between the types of wine became apparent. They mainly related to the strength of the drink and its sugar content.
Specifications
In the very terms that characterize different types of drinks, the answer is laid to the question of how dry semi-dry sweet semi-sweet wines differ. At the same time, let's try to find out how sweet the drink should be so that it is called liquor wine:
- Dry, the easiest and most beneficial for the body. Sugar in good dry wine cannot be more than 0.5 percent, and the alcohol content does not exceed 8-11%.
- Semi-dry, the sugar content of which can vary from 0.5 to 30 percent. Moreover, the alcohol content is only slightly higher than in dry: only 9-11%.
- Semisweet. The name itself indicates a rich taste and a rather high sugar content, 3-8% is permissible. Along with sugar content, the alcohol content also increases: already 9-13%. An ideal choice for a romantic candlelight dinner.
- Semi-sweet dessert types are rather capricious and require proper storage. At the same time, they are distinguished by a unique attractive taste and a long finish. Their sugar content is quite high, 5-12%, and the alcohol content is 14-16%.
- Dessert sweet varieties are ideal for ripened cheeses and fruits. These are vintage strong wines with a stable finish and rich aroma. With prolonged storage, they darken, become oily, with a pleasant acidity. The sugar content in such drinks is 14-20%, while they are quite strong: the alcohol content is 15-17%.
- Liquor species seem to be created for lovers of sweets. They are characterized by maximum sugar content, which can reach 35% of the total composition of the drink. They can be produced only in small batches, because not every year there is a harvest of especially sweet grapes.
However, doctors are sure that only natural drinks are suitable for health and good mood. Let's try to find out the benefits and differences of dry and semi-dry wine and where exactly the best options are created.
Pleasure from Italy
There are countries in which residents prefer wine to many other drinks, so for Italians, French, and even Georgians, a few glasses at dinner became almost a ritual. Therefore, they see no reason to produce bad wine, on the contrary, private factories still carry out many operations using old technologies, without modern equipment.
In the line of Italian drinks, the difference between dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet wines will not be very noticeable: the same grape varieties are used and often the owners themselves decide which types are best to release this year.
However, Italians prefer natural dry wine for domestic consumption. For dry red varieties, grapes of the varieties Merlot, PinotNoir, Cabernet, Negrette, Aleatico, Sauvingnon are used, which ripen perfectly on sunny slopes. Moreover, the berries are processed together with the skin, seeds, and sometimes twigs.
White wines are more delicate and exquisite, they are usually consumed young, not older than three years. This is the only way to enjoy the delicate aroma and taste of fresh grapes.
French pleasure
It is difficult to describe the attitude of the French towards wine, most of all it resembles adoration. It seems they can spend hours discussing how dry red wine differs from semi-dry Merlot VDP Castel or Cabernet Sauvingnon Chavron and how much they harmonize with the taste of meat and piquant cheeses.
Each region of France is proud of its unique technology, drinks from the Rhone Valley will be significantly different from the young Macon Blanc Villages Louis Jadot from Burgundy.
Most dry and semi-dry wines are produced in the province of Bordeaux. Moreover, red wines are surprisingly good in this region, but among the whites it is worth noting Petit Cablis Regnard, with its delicate aroma of fruits and ripe berries.
Spanish traditions
Masters of Spain do not recognize half measures, no gaps, so guests will hardly feel the difference between semi-dry and semi-sweet wine. A dry red variety in Spain attracts with its rich rich taste and pronounced character. Most of all, Castille is famous for its young wines, it is this region that accounts for more than half the volume of the produced beverage. Almost every town has a cellar with local wine, where guests are treated to amazingly delicious varieties.
Once in Pais Vasco (Basque Country), you should definitely try the local Txakoli light wine. Production plants are deliberately being built near the vineyards in order not to transport raw materials and keep the berries intact.
Locals are sure that nothing in the world refreshes so much in the summer heat as a few sips of a chilled drink with a slight oiliness and floral aroma.
Fragrant Riesling from Germany
In all regions of the country there are small farms that produce amazing local wine from Riesling grapes. In every part of the country, it is revealed in different ways: from acidity and a delicate floral bouquet to the rich aroma of spices and fruits.
The Germans themselves prefer pure dry wines, which are distinguished by a minimum residual sugar content and a noble fruit bouquet. And fans of semi-dry options need to look for the label Kabinett on the label, meaning a drink with a unique "crisp" acidity, made from grapes of the main crop.
Ancient technologies of Georgia
In this country of high mountains, the love of wine only intensifies from generation to generation. Masters from local varieties of vines create surprisingly rich red and white blends for natural drinks. For example, the pride of Georgian masters, Tsinandali dry white wine has been produced since 1886, and since then the principle of its manufacture has not changed much.
The main difference between dry and semi-dry wines of Georgia is the technology: to obtain a sweeter product, the fermentation process of the raw materials is deliberately stopped by the cooling method. A special taste is given to red wines by the ancient method of preparation of raw materials, more precisely, its complete absence. Grapes are crushed with seeds, small leaves and even twigs. In the process of fermentation, this gives the drink an amazing astringency and saturation. And from the grapes of the Rkatsiteli variety they make the same-name white wine, amber in color, with elegant fruit notes.
The pleasure of sparkling wines
Talking about natural young wines, itβs difficult not to recall the sparkling varieties of champagne and Spanish cava. Indeed, the pleasure of these drinks, the debate about which is better, dry or semi-dry, and the differences between wines of this category, have been attracting specialists and amateurs for many years.
It is believed that the best sparkling varieties are traditionally produced in France, in the province of Champagne. However, in other regions of the country, for example, in Languedoc, where champagne was launched long before the popularity of Champagne, drinks are no worse.
And in several regions of Italy they produce wine, which is a significant competitor to the usual champagne. This is a cava, a drink made from local grape varieties, mainly Parellada, Macabeo and Xarello.
The best varieties of sparkling wines are considered white and pink drinks of the Brut Nature category, they contain almost no sugar and the natural taste of ripened grapes is preserved. It is best to try them in the first year after the spill, then the taste remains light and rich.
No rules
Many are sure that red wines are served exclusively for meat dishes, while whites reveal their taste next to seafood or poultry. However, this is fundamentally wrong, a thick red semi-dry wonderful shade of a dish of tender turkey, and a familiar roast chicken will become piquant thanks to a glass of saturated fruit "Merlot".
White wines are well served with fatty or savory foods, mushroom and liver dishes, seafood and fish.
Both white and red dry varieties are suitable for lean beef or pork tenderloin, as well as vegetable snacks, berries and nuts.
Semi-dry will be pleasantly in harmony with blue cheese, fruits (not citrus fruits only), dishes with creamy sauces, pasta and oily fish.
But dry sparkling options are considered universal, they can be served with any appetizers and main dishes.
Although there are no uniform rules for the selection of wine, they need to enjoy, try, experiment, look for differences and enjoy each glass.