Originally Posted by
DeweyCheathem
BTW, you're also more likely to find a real Burgundy that's too sweet than an American pinot noir that is. Because Americans don't chaptalize pinot noir, while Burgundians do.
The chaptalization adding of sugar during fermentation doesn't increase sweetness; it increases the alcohol content.
This is a common technique used in cooler grape growing regions like Burgundy and Oregon. Warmer grape growing regions have no need for this, typically, since grapes in such areas are far more likely to ripen and contain sufficient sugars for fermentation into alcohol. That's one reason why wines from California and Australian are so much higher in alcohol.