Does sweetness in wine go away as a sweet wine ages?

April 24, 2026

Dear Karen:

Does sweetness in wine go away as a sweet wine ages? The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

Dear Susan:

Sweet wines, but not dry wines, have what is called residual sugar—natural sugar from inside the grapes that was never fermented (by yeasts) into alcohol. So it remains in the wine and makes that wine sweet. Residual sugar does not go away exactly. But over a long time—15 or more years—the sugars begin to transform molecularly. The result is that older sweet wines begin to seem less sweet as they age. Some very old sweet German Rieslings, or very old Sauternes, for example, do not taste really sweet at all.

The Super Tuscans are: The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

A. Red wines made in Tuscany from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes

B. Red or white wines made in Tuscany from any variety except Sangiovese

C. Red blends made in Tuscany from Sangiovese plus any other red variety

D. Red wines made in Tuscany in an “international style”

“Wine, land, agricultural skills, and entrepreneurship are gifts from God—the CreatorThe following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.