I have been hearing of something called “Dry January” for the past few years. For some people it’s a New Year’s resolution to cut down on their alcohol consumption while for others, it’s a way to detox after the partying that happened over the holidays. Both are legitimate reasons to cleanse your body. Sometimes you just need to clean out your system. I personally thought it meant that you only drink Dry wine for the month of January. For me, this would be a breeze since I typically drink dry wine anyway. Wait, so am I wrong? I suppose it depends on your point of view. For a wine enthusiast such as myself, Dry January is a time to choose from the wonderful dry, red wines that I have stored in my wine fridge! I look at it this way…it’s cold, the fire is roaring in the fireplace, it’s cozy…it’s time for a nice glass of Pinot Noir from Oregon!
So, let’s just go with my definition of “Dry January” and get out and explore the lovely dry wines that are out there. Here’s a short list of some of the most popular ones:
DRY REDS
- Pinot Noir
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Cabernet Franc
- Tempranillo
- Merlot
- Sangiovese
- Malbec
DRY WHITES
- Pinot Grigio
- Pinot Blanc
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Chardonnay
- Chablis
What’s the difference between dry wines and sweet (or off dry/semi-sweet) wines?
Well, the difference is the level of residual sugar left in the wine after fermentation. The sugar turns to alcohol during this process and thus a wine is born. Hail to the fermentation process! What it means is that sweeter wines have more residual sugar and dry wines have less. Dry wines are fermented longer, and sweet wines are fermented a shorter period so that the wine will retain the higher sugar level. With dry wine fermentation, the sugar converts to alcohol over time. Dry wines are typically higher in alcohol than sweet wines.
So, what’s an off-dry or semi-sweet wine? Well, it has less sugar than a sweet wine. It is “lightly sweetened” so if you are typically a dry wine drinker, try an off-dry wine and see what you think. Everyone has a different palate so it’s always good to experiment. It may surprise you.
Port is typically considered a sweet wine that is drunk after a meal. It is served in a Port glass and is thought to be a nice finish to a good meal. I have had Ports that are super sweet and others that I thought were quite palatable. Try one for yourself and see what you think.
So, bottom line…Dry January is a good thing in the typical definition. It helps to cleanse your body and feels healthy. If you partied a bit too much over the holidays, it might be good for you to do Dry January or even Dry February. I’m going to stick with my definition and enjoy my beautiful glass of dry wine!
Cheers my friends!
