Is it even allowed to "sugar" wine - that is, to add sugar in any form? Well - this question is not so easy to answer and there are probably very few topics in winemaking that are so often misunderstood. By no means should this be taken to mean hooded winegrowers sneaking into their wine cellars at night and emptying sacks of sugar into the tanks and barrels without permission.
Possible sugaring depends on the type of wine, the wine quality level, the stage of vinification and the type of sugar (dry sugar, wet sugar, grape must, RCGM = rectified grape must concentrate). The climate/weather of the wine-growing region in question and the country-specific wine law requirements must also be taken into account. For it is not the same whether the wine comes from the cool north with often less sugar content or from the hot south with often abundant sugar but therefore often less acid content in the berries.
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As honorary chairman of the Domäne Wachau, it is the easiest and quickest way for me to access the wein.plus encyclopaedia when I have questions. The certainty of receiving well-founded and up-to-date information here makes it an indispensable guide.
Hans-Georg Schwarz
Ehrenobmann der Domäne Wachau (Wachau)