dry
A term that describes wine that isn’t sweet at all; its French counterpart is sec. In a fully dry wine, all the sugar has been converted to alcohol during fermentation. A medium-dry wine has a small amount of residual sugar, but not enough to prevent the wine from being enjoyed with a meal. A wine with the barest hint of sweetness is referred to as off dry. See also extra dry.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.