Wine · Explainer
Is pinot grigio sweet or dry?
Pinot grigio is generally dry. Dry is a measurable quantity: up to 4 grams of residual sugar per litre, and up to 9 grams if the acidity is high enough. The DOC delle Venezie, the designation of origin for pinot grigio from north-eastern Italy, permits styles from secco to abboccato. The same grape is called pinot gris in France and grauburgunder in Germany, and is also found there off-dry and sweet. The label gives the answer.
In brief
The key figures
| Legal limit for dry | Maximum 4 grams of residual sugar per litre |
|---|---|
| Exception to that limit | Up to 9 grams per liter, provided the total acidity is no more than 2 grams per liter below the sugar content |
| Medium dry | Up to 12 grams per litre, and up to 18 grams with sufficient acidity |
| Sweet | From 45 grams of residual sugar per litre |
| Dry on a bottle of sparkling wine | 17 to 32 grams of residual sugar per litre |
| DOC delle Venezie | At least 85 percent Pinot Grigio, from Trento, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto |
| Styles within that DOC | From secco to abboccato, at a minimum of 11 percent by volume total alcohol |
| Grauburgunder in Germany | 8,372 hectares in 2023, just over 8 percent of the acreage, mostly vinified dry |
What exactly does dry mean for wine?
For wine, dry is a measurable limit: at most 4 grams of residual sugar per litre. If the acidity is high enough, a dry wine may retain up to 9 grams per litre.
Residual sugar is the sugar that remains in the wine after fermentation. The international label standard sets the whole scale: medium dry runs up to 12 grams per liter and, with enough acidity, up to 18 grams, medium sweet up to 45 grams, and sweet starts from 45 grams per liter.
Those numbers do not say everything about what you notice in the glass. Acid and alcohol mask sugar, so a wine with 6 grams per litre can feel dry and a wine with 4 grams per litre soft.
Is pinot grigio from Italy dry?
Pinot grigio from north-east Italy is as a rule vinified dry. The product file of the DOC delle Venezie also allows styles ranging from secco to abboccato, so lightly sweet is also permitted within that origin.
The DOC delle Venezie is the protected origin for pinot grigio from that area. The dossier requires at least 85 percent pinot grigio and limits the origin to the province of Trento and the regions of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto. The wine must reach at least 11 percent by volume of total alcohol.
Anyone who wants to be sure looks at the label for the designation secco or abboccato, or at the number of grams of residual sugar in the technical data of the bottle.
Why does the same grape also exist in sweet versions?
Pinot grigio, pinot gris and grauburgunder are one and the same grape with three names and three traditions. In Alsace and in Germany it is also made into medium dry and sweet wine.
The product specification of the AOP Alsace requires for pinot gris with the mention vendanges tardives at least 270 grams of sugar per litre of must. Those are sweet wines, and they sit on the shelf under the same grape name as the dry versions.
In Germany, grauburgunder is regarded as a predominantly dry wine. The Deutsches Weininstitut reports 8,372 hectares of grauburgunder in 2023, well over 8 percent of the German vineyard area, and mentions the older name Ruländer for the fuller style with noticeable sweetness.
Where on the label can you see how dry the wine is?
The label gives the answer, not the grape name. For still wine, look for droog, secco, sec or trocken, and for sparkling wine for the indication of sugar content.
For sparkling wine those designations are linked to numbers in the European rules. Dry stands there for 17 to 32 grams of residual sugar per litre, medium dry for 32 to 50 grams and sweet for more than 50 grams. A bottle with dry on the label is therefore much sweeter than a dry still wine.
If the bottle says nothing about sweetness, the back label or the producer’s technical sheet will help. Ask us, and we will look it up.
How do you choose a dry pinot grigio in Bathmen?
Start with the origin and the alcohol percentage on the bottle. In Bathmen there are 17 wines with pinot grigio as the grape, from 14 different brands, from 4 countries, with 11 to 13 percent alcohol by volume.
Those 17 bottles are part of a wine range of 1,082 wines. Tell us what you will drink the wine with and whether you prefer dry or slightly softer, and we will go through the bottles with you and read out the details on the bottle.
Alcohol verkopen wij niet aan iedereen onder de 18 jaar. NIX18.
From the shop in Bathmen
Which pinot grigios are on the shelf in Bathmen?
The shop in Bathmen stocks 17 wines from 14 different brands from 4 countries. Prices range from € 5.99 to € 18.99. The alcohol percentage ranges from 11% to 13%.
- BERTANI DUE UVE Blanco Pinot Grigio & Sauvignon Blanc 13% · 70 cl · Italy
- Cambalache Pinot Grigio 11% · 75 cl · Argentina
- Castello di Spessa My Corona Pinot Grigio 13% · 75 cl · Italy
- Colonna Ducale Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 12% · 75 cl · Italy
- De Stefani Pinot Grigio 13% · 75 cl · Italy
- Farina Bianco Frizzante 11% · 75 cl · Italy
- Farina Pinot Grigio del Veneto 12.5% · 75 cl · Italy
- Gabbiano Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie 12% · 75 cl · Italy
- JACOB'S CREEK Pinot Grigio 12% · 75 cl · Australia
- Les 4 Pierres Pinot Grigio 11.5% · 75 cl · France
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Short answer
Short answers to related questions
- What does abboccato mean on an Italian wine label?
- Abboccato means lightly sweet, a step sweeter than secco. The product specification of the DOC delle Venezie allows styles from secco to abboccato.
- Is grauburgunder the same as pinot grigio?
- It is the same grape. Germany uses the name grauburgunder and, according to the Deutsches Weininstitut, vinifies it predominantly dry.
- Is pinot gris from Alsace always sweet?
- No. Alsace also makes dry pinot gris. For the mention vendanges tardives, however, a minimum of 270 grams of sugar per litre of must applies, and those are sweet wines.
- Does “dry” on a bottle of bubbles mean the same as dry?
- No. Dry on sparkling wine stands for 17 to 32 grams of residual sugar per litre, whereas dry still wine contains at most 4 grams per litre.
- Why is the number of grams of residual sugar not on every bottle?
- For still wine, that statement is not a fixed part of the label. Many producers do give the figure on the back label or in their technical data.
Further
Read more
All about wine at 't Bockjefilter wine by country, taste and priceAll brands at a glanceWhat is the difference between champagne, cava and prosecco?What does dry wine mean?What is the difference between Old World and New World wine?What do AOC, DOC and DOCG mean on a wine label?All questions about wine
The reasoning
Sources
- International Standard for the Labelling of Wines, optional information: type of wine, Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Gedelegeerde Verordening (EU) 2019/33, bijlage III, deel B: aanduidingen van het suikergehalte bij niet-mousserende wijn, Europese Unie, legal text via legislation.gov.uk (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Gedelegeerde Verordening (EU) 2019/33, bijlage III, deel A: aanduidingen van het suikergehalte, European Union, legal text via legislation.gov.uk (accessed 23 October 2026)
- Disciplinare di produzione dei vini a denominazione di origine controllata delle Venezie, Associazione Italiana Sommelier (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Rebsorte Grauburgunder, Deutsches Weininstitut (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Productdossier AOP Alsace, wijziging PDO-FR-A1101-AM02, European Commission, eAmbrosia register (accessed 23 October 2026)
This page was written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine & spirits shop at the Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 23 October 2026.
Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.