Chaptalisation

Chaptalisation – French term for adding sugar to the must.
Invented by Comte Chaptal, a minister under Nepoleon.
In Germany this is called Anreichern.

The sugar is always added before the fermentation.
The goal is not to make the wine sweeter.
(if it was, the sugar should be added after the fermentation, as is done with Champaign)

Chaptalisation aims to increase potential alcohol.
It makes the wine rounder, subtler a bit sweeter and adds more body.

In Europe only allowed it so called A and B zones:
De cool climates such as Germany and northern France where the grapes have a hard time ripening and developing sugars.
Not allowed in C climates: southern France, Spain, etc.