The wine shop clerk told me the wine was very dry, but when I took my purchase home and pulled the cork, I found it to be too sweet for me.
Yet again, I learned that taking the advice of wine store clerks can be a mixed bag, and often leads to an inappropriate purchase— or worse, an awful wine.
It is one reason that I rarely ask for advice in a wine shop. It usually has to do with the fact that I prefer to pucker after I sip a white wine. Clerks assume I’m like most Americans, for whom a slightly sweet wine is fine.
In most cases, I want wines that are completely dry, including wines that some clerks would assert are dry, but are not.
How can there be such a wide disagreement? Part of it may be attributed to a lack of education on the part of the clerks. And part of it may well be related to the fact that a wine without any residual sugar still can come across as slightly sweet if the acidity is particularly low.
We all taste things differently. I may say a hot sauce is too spicy, while another person says it isn’t spicy enough. Some people like salt added to everything they eat; others don’t like salt at all.
Wine is pretty much the same way, and when it comes to acidity and sugar, there are so many differences of opinion that no one can be absolutely certain whether your dry is my sweet or vice versa.
All of us have had wines that were identified on their labels as being “dry,” but are so soft that they have no appeal with food.
When this occurs, there are a few things we can do to correct the situation, even though purists would frown on such notions.
Add Citric Acid to Your Glass
A couple of drops of lemon juice would also help to restore the balance of a sweet wine, but lemons have flavors that alter the taste of the wine, often in strange ways that may be unappealing. Citric acid, which can be found in stores that carry canning supplies, has no aroma or taste. A quarter teaspoon added to a five-ounce glass of wine may help its balance. Experiment with an eighth of a teaspoon first.Add a Few Drops of Spring Water to Your Glass
I don’t like adding water to my wine because it tends to upset the structure, but when a wine is too sweet, a teaspoon or two of water can help to lower the alcohol level, which has a slight sweetness all its own. This really works well for red wines that have alcohol levels near or higher than 15 percent.Chill the Wine a Bit
A well-known tactic to deal with soft, slightly sweet wines is to chill them so the cold can emulate the acid. I realize that red wine is not supposed to be served cold, but sometimes with sweeter red wines, the best tactic is to chill them.Seek Lower-Alcohol Wines
As previously noted, alcohol can have a sweet-imparting character, so to get drier wines, seek wines whose alcohol levels are below 14 percent. The lower the alcohol level, the better your chances of finding a dry wine.Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to [email protected]. 
