Backsweetening S.G. Chart

I am trying to find an accurate table that shows the ranges of specific gravities for a sweetened wine and I am seeing that they vary a lot.

Here is one:

Dry table wine : .997 - 1.000
Medium table wine : 1.000 - 1.002
Sweet table wine : 1.002 - 1.005
Dessert wine : 1.010 - 1.020

Here is another:

Dry: <1.000
Medium dry: 1.000-1.010
Medium sweet: 1.010-1.020
Sweet: 1.020-1.030
Dessert: 1.030-1.040

I sweetened a batch last night to 1.01. Does this mean I should call my wine a Dessert Wine, or a Medium Dry?

Thanks!

Here is what I suggest;

TOSS THEM!

Backsweetening is done to YOUR taste no others. Once you are happy sweetening the wine ck the gravity and write it in youe Wine Log.

This is the best. Everyonms has different taste so this is a way for you to find what yours is.

I agree with Tom on that - sweeten to your likings. I have used the charts as a reference point - but i don't sweeten to the chart - i sweeten to what i like or what the wife likes.

kirbyclk said:

I am trying to find an accurate table that shows the ranges of specific gravities for a sweetened wine and I am seeing that they vary a lot.

Here is one:

Dry table wine : .997 - 1.000
Medium table wine : 1.000 - 1.002
Sweet table wine : 1.002 - 1.005
Dessert wine : 1.010 - 1.020

Here is another:

Dry: <1.000
Medium dry: 1.000-1.010
Medium sweet: 1.010-1.020
Sweet: 1.020-1.030
Dessert: 1.030-1.040

I sweetened a batch last night to 1.01. Does this mean I should call my wine a Dessert Wine, or a Medium Dry?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

As the others have said, sweeten to your taste. If you keep good notes, you can repeat this time and again.

The nice thing about backsweetening is when you and your honey like the same wine but like them sweetened differently. You can basksweeten some to your liking and bottle or bulk age & do the same for your honey.

There's nothing better than a happy honey.

thanks for the replies.

I guess I am wondering what to put on my labels. sweet, semi-sweet? My gf really likes a wine from Oliver Winery in Bloomington, IN which is a concord based "soft red semi-sweet wine". I am making a 5 gal batch of concord right now so I think i may buy a bottle of the Oliver and see what S.G. they sweetened to and try to match it.

kirbyclk said:

thanks for the replies.

I guess I am wondering what to put on my labels. sweet, semi-sweet? My gf really likes a wine from Oliver Winery in Bloomington, IN which is a concord based "soft red semi-sweet wine". I am making a 5 gal batch of concord right now so I think i may buy a bottle of the Oliver and see what S.G. they sweetened to and try to match it.

Click to expand...

If you are going that route, check the pH and TA if possible also. If the acid levels are differnt than yours, the same sg will taste quite different. If yours and theirs are relatively close in pH and TA, then by all means measure their SG and bring yours to that level.

I agree - also match the TA and PH levels. You said it was a concord base - is it a blended wine - if so - do you know what it was blended with?

I am pretty sure that the Oliver Winery is a 100% concord. The 5 gal batch I am making now is a 100% concord from Old Orchard frozen concentrate.

I also agree with the posts above, sweeten to your taste. If I had to pick between the two charts I would go with the second one.

Now that I have the testing equipment I am putting the TA, PH, Sulfite and gravity levels on my labels. It's more for me than others.

I have always placed the gravity on the label for my reference because I will do 2 or 3 different gravity batches when I bottle. Plus I could tell folks, this is sweeter than this.

The increments are nice to start with then fine tune to what you like. I've even taken gravity readings of wine from the store just as a reference point. True, as you repeat the wine you have a gravity point to shoot for but keep in mind, some wines are good at more than one sweetness point.