Ever wonder what “Vin Sec” means on the label of a bottle of Riesling?
In French it literally means ‘dry wine.’
Riesling is a wine that is most famously produced in Germany where nearly half the world's Riesling grapes are grown. Other great producers of Riesling include the Alsace region of France, Australia, Austria, Canada and the United States.
Riesling that is grown in cooler climate regions result in highly aromatic wines with great acidity and big, bright fruit flavors. But mention a Riesling and most often you'll hear "Oh, that's a sweet wine."
But not all Rieslings are sweet. They can span the range from dry to sweet. The Alsace region of France is known for its dry Riesling. And warmer climates, such as California, Oregon and Washington, produce dry Rieslings that typically have more muted fruit flavors, are more medium to full-bodied.
So, if you are looking for Riesling that is not sweet, look for the words ‘Vin Sec’ on the label. This will ensure that you’re getting a ‘dry’ or low-sugar wine.
Cheers!