Basic facts:

The only suitable wines for diabetics are those with low residual sugar (max. 4 grammes sugar/litre). Wine contains residual sugar and extract. Hydrometer degrees minus 1000 x 2 in wine where the alcohol has been extracted = grammes of residual sugar.

• To determine the residual sugar content (sugar + extract), the alcohol must be removed by boiling, otherwise the result will be inaccurate.
• Measure off 200 ml wine and boil it until there is 100 ml left.
• Add water to revert to the original volume as the alcohol has boiled away.
• When cooled to room temperature, take a hydrometer reading minus 1000 and multiply the reading by 2. For example, if the hydrometer reads 1003 degrees, then the residual sugar will be 6 grammes of sugar per litre, (1003 - 1000 x 2).
• Diabetics are advised to drink totally fermented extra dry wines. Such wines often have good flavour, but the shelf life is reduced. Usually such wines should be consumed within one year. Follow up the development of flavour and make notes.
• Particularly suitable are wines made from dried fruit, supplemented with advantage with 1 kg of grape juice. White wine made from the Chardonnay grape is also suitable. Wine containing lots of extract compensates for the lack of residual sugar, and has a good flavour and shelf life.