jäännössokeria

Jäännössokeri, often translated as residual sugar, refers to the amount of sugar that remains in a wine after fermentation is complete. During fermentation, yeast consumes sugars (primarily glucose and fructose) and converts them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. If the fermentation process is stopped before all the sugar has been consumed, or if the yeast is unable to consume all the available sugar, the unfermented sugars will remain in the wine. This remaining sugar is what contributes to the wine's sweetness.

The level of residual sugar is a key factor in determining the perceived sweetness of a wine, ranging from very dry to very sweet. Winemakers can control the amount of residual sugar through various techniques. They can stop fermentation early by chilling the must, adding sulfur dioxide, or by fortification with spirits, which kills the yeast. Alternatively, the natural sugar content of the grapes at harvest, along with the yeast strain's alcohol tolerance, will also influence the final residual sugar level.

Wines are typically categorized based on their residual sugar content. Dry wines have very little residual sugar, often less than 4 grams per liter, and are perceived as not sweet. Off-dry wines have a slightly noticeable sweetness. Medium-dry or semi-sweet wines have a more pronounced sweetness, while sweet wines have a high level of residual sugar, often above 45 grams per liter, and are distinctly sweet. This characteristic is crucial for understanding a wine's flavor profile and pairing it with food.