What is a typical wine OG?

Most table wines start at OG 1.080–1.095 (roughly 20–24 Brix), which yields 11–13% ABV. Dessert wines and late-harvest styles can reach OG 1.120–1.150 (30–38 Brix).

Which ABV formula is more accurate for wine?

The winemaking formula (76.08 × (OG − FG) / (1.775 − OG)) is more accurate for wines above about 12% ABV because it accounts for changes in liquid density during fermentation. The standard formula is simpler and fine for lower-ABV wines.

How do I convert Brix to specific gravity?

The calculator does this automatically. The formula used is SG ≈ 1 + (Brix / (258.6 − (Brix / 258.2 × 227.1))), which is accurate across the typical winemaking range of 0–40 Brix.

What residual sugar level makes a wine dry?

A dry wine typically has under 4 g/L residual sugar. Off-dry wines fall between 4–18 g/L, medium-sweet between 18–45 g/L, and sweet wines above 45 g/L. Dessert wines can exceed 100 g/L.

My FG is higher than my OG — what went wrong?

FG must always be lower than OG because yeast consumes sugars and lowers the density. A higher FG likely means the readings were swapped, or the refractometer reading was not corrected for alcohol (which inflates Brix readings post-fermentation).

Wine ABV Calculator

Name: Wine ABV Calculator
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter original and final gravity (or Brix) to calculate wine ABV, residual sugar, and see where your wine falls on the style guide.

Fermentation Readings

Original Gravity (OG)

Gravity before fermentation — typical wine range: 1.080–1.130

Final Gravity (FG)

Gravity after fermentation is complete — dry wine typical: 0.990–1.000

Quick Presets

Results

Enter readings above and click Calculate ABV.

Wine Style Reference

Table Wine (dry) 11–14% ABV, <4 g/L RS

Off-Dry / Semi-Sweet 10–13% ABV, 4–45 g/L RS

Late Harvest / Sweet 10–14% ABV, 45–120 g/L RS

Dessert / Fortified 14–22% ABV, >120 g/L RS

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Summary

Enter original and final gravity (or Brix) to calculate wine ABV, residual sugar, and see where your wine falls on the style guide.

How it works

Choose your input mode: specific gravity (SG) or Brix.
Enter the reading taken before fermentation starts (original gravity or Brix).
Enter the reading taken after fermentation is complete (final gravity or Brix).
Brix values are converted to specific gravity using the standard approximation.
ABV is calculated using both (OG − FG) × 131.25 and the more accurate winemaking formula.
Residual sugar is estimated from the final gravity and compared to wine style thresholds.

Use cases

Determine the ABV of a homemade red or white wine.
Track fermentation progress with successive gravity or Brix readings.
Estimate residual sugar to classify a wine as dry, off-dry, or sweet.
Compare standard and winemaking ABV formulas for high-gravity must.
Verify a stuck fermentation by checking whether FG is above expected.
Label homemade wine bottles with an accurate alcohol content.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Reviewed by Nham Vu