Are the following wines sweet or dry: Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot?

Answer 1

Dry is a term that we would not normally apply to a red wine, but is often used to describe a wine with levels of tannin that make the mouth feel 'dry' after drinking.

As Reid H has mentioned above, 'sweet' would only normally be applied to dessert wines and usually refers to the levels of residual sugar in the wine. However, one might describe certain flavours in a wine as sweet, even if the wine has low levels of sugars.

Of the grapes above, only Pinot Grigio could be described as normally dry. This grape is not very versatile and is best suited to making crisp, dry white wines. Pinot Noir is a red grape which can be used to make earthy, ripe red wines such as the Nuits-St. Georges in Bourgogne which often have a fair bit of tannin at first, but mellow greatly with ageing in bottle. Pinot Noir is also used to make Champagne and sparkling wines which can of course be dry white wine (confusing, isn't it?).

Chardonnay, one of the most versatile of all grape varieties, can be dry OR rich and creamy. Oaking a Chardonnay produces a buttery, full flavour and texture (eg. Meursault), whereas an unoaked Chardonnay can be crisp and flinty (eg. Chablis).

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the principal varieties used in Bordeaux red wines and typically produces rich, fairly tannic wines with lots of dark-fruit flavour and minty aromas. A heavy 'Cab' would certainly leave a dry feel in the mouth but again, with proper ageing, this would soften.

Merlot is another of the main varieties of Bordeaux red wines and is known for its dark berry and plum aromas with a silky, smooth mouth-feel. While some Merlots can have a lot of tannin, they tend to be soft on the palate when well-made and properly aged.

Sorry it's not as simple as you might have hoped, but I hope this has helped to answer your question.

If you would like to learn more about wine or grapes, please contact me directly or try a website such as

http://winegeeks.com/resources/grapes/

Eddie

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Are the following wines sweet or dry: Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot?

Answer 3

Usually dry. Sometimes you can find a sweet "late harvest" esp. the chardonnay.

Dry: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz/Syrah, Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Malbec, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Rose', Dry Riesling, Dry Viogniers.

Sweet: Sweet Rose'/Blush, White Zinfandel, White Merlot, Late Harvest wines, "ice wines", Muscat, Port, Sweeter Rieslings, Sweeter Viognier, Sweeter Reds like "Druid's Fluid". :)

Answer 4

Is Pinot Grigio Dry

Answer 5

Is Pinot Grigio Sweet

Answer 6

To me, this is like asking "are the following cars fast or not: Toyota, Nissan, Chevy, Ford". There are more factors than what you are addressing.

Typically, Chardonnay or Cabernet could kind of have a dry taste to them, depending on the winery, the winemaker, the vintage, the aging, etc. That doesn't mean that ALL chards and cabs are dry tasting. Quite the opposite.

While I've had a "sweet" Pinot Gris (Grove Mill), it's not typically a sweet grape. Crisp, clean, slightly pool water, yes. "Sweet", no. "Sweet" doesn't usually apply to red wines, other than ports.

Merlot can be fruity, spicy, earthy, etc.

Pinot is typically fruity (cherry, plum, blackberry), earthy, bold, with some tannins.

A lot of beginning wine drinkers get "sweet" mixed up with "not earthy" or "not dry". You might want to start attending some tastings locally to help clear up some of the terminology and tastes. This will help you to figure out what you like and don't like. : )

Answer 7

Sweet is a desriptive term that I would never use to characterize any wine that wasn't dessert, late harvest or botrytis. Good Pinot Grigio should never be sweet. Cabs should be dry, Merlots can be but depends on their blend/region/age. Pinot should be lighter than the afore mentioned with a touch of fruit. Chardonnays should be poured down the drain ( sorry, couldn;t resist, for they are not my favorite)...a good Chard should be a little buttery and a touch of fruit.

Answer 8

Pinot Grigio is sweet...the others are dry. Although some Cabernets can be on the sweet side

Answer 9

i don't really feel any of these are sweet. More like variations on dryness. Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir are lighter more fruity wines. Cab, Merlot and Chard are not as fruity.

Answer 10

Those should all be dry, but depending on the wineryand its winemaker , some are "fruitier" than others. If you want medium dry, try chenin blanc, gerwertztraiminer, reisling or muscato. Medium dry wines can be a little sweet to a little more sweet, all up to the winemaker.

A good wine shop can guide you to what you like. Some grocery stores have wine department managers who are very helpful.