How dry is dry? This is the question. Literally, the term applies to the amount of sugar remaining in the wine. Bone-dry wines have had most if not all of their sugar fermented out (most wines whose residual sugar level is below 4/10 of a percent can be called Dry). Late-harvest wines can have sugar levels ranging from the 6 to 20 per cent levels and are called sweet (isn’t that a surprise?).
In Champagne, there are specific names given which indicate the actual level of sugar (the sweetness of the Champagne). Here’s a chart supplied by Korbel Champagne Cellars of California:
Natural 0.5%
Brut 1.0%
Extra Dry 1.25-1.5%
Sec 1.25-1.5%
Rose 1.25%
Rouge 1.25%
Blanc de Noirs 0.5%
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