The most common wine order in the UK (“dry white wine, please”) probably stems from an overwhelming urge on the part of 1980s drinkers to escape Hock & Liebfraumilch. “Dry”, to anyone in the trade at least, just means less than 10g of sugar per-litre which is essentially 99% of wines on 99% of wine lists. Often sugar is kept in a wine to balance high acidity which in itself ends up making the sugar virtually invisible rather than actually tasting sweet. The best way to understand what “dry” means is to try two wines, one dry, one off-dry, made with the same grape alongside each other. This case mixes two chenin blanc, two alberino & two muscats.

Testalonga, Mielie Green Chenin Blanc 2022, South Africa
Domaine Ogereau, L’Enjouee Blanc, Chenin Blanc 2021, Loire Valley
Hanewald-Schwerdt Monkey Morio 2021, Pflaz, Germany
Leon Beyer Reserve Personnelle Muscat 2020, Alsace
Vilacetinho Vinho Verde 2021, Portugal
Arousana Luzada Albarino 2022, Rias Baixas