Addition of sugar in various forms to the finished wine to increase the residual sugar content. This should not be confused with enrichment (adding sugar to wine that has not yet finished fermentation to increase the alcohol content). Colloquially, the terms residual sweetening or sweet reserve are also used.
The EU wine market organisation (CMO), which came into force in 2009, resulted in changes to the guidelines. A distinction is no longer made between fortified and non-fortified wines. Dry sugaring (with beet sugar) is a form of fortification. Wet sugaring (dry sugar dissolved in water, also known as gallisation) is prohibited in Germany and Austria.
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Thorsten Rahn
Restaurantleiter, Sommelier, Weindozent und Autor; Dresden