title_body: What are some types of red wine that aren't buttery or sweet-ish?
upvoted_answer: What are some types of red wine that aren't buttery or sweetish?
  My guess is that one could try a red wine like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. Generally speaking they are dry and thus not sweet.
  
  Red Wine Sweetness Chart
  Some Chardonnays may in fact be buttery, but not all.
  
  What does the term “buttery” mean in reference to wine?
  &quot;Buttery&quot; can refer to a flavor, smell, texture or some combination of all three, and it's most commonly associated with Chardonnay. Buttery flavors usually come from diacetyl, an organic compound that’s a natural byproduct of fermentation. Diacetyl can also be a result of putting a wine through a malolactic conversion. Exposing a wine to oak barrels can also emphasize buttery notes—both from the toasting on the inside of the barrel, and the softening effect barrels can have on a wine’s texture.
  Have you ever smelled a wine and it’s a dead ringer for butter-flavored popcorn? That’s not a coincidence. Diacetyl is sometimes added to foods for its buttery flavor—think movie-theater popcorn, margarine, crackers and cooking oil.
  I consider “buttery” a positive note. Just like any other wine characteristic, I prefer it in balance with a wine’s other elements. But buttery Chardonnays used to be very fashionable, and now much less so. These days, sometimes “buttery” is used as a pejorative term.
  Other descriptors in a similar vein are cream/creamy, piecrust, caramel, butterscotch or brioche.