How to tell if it’s dry or not (in practice)

The easiest way is to look at the label:

— Dry / Sec → dry
— Semi-dry → semi-dry
— Semi-sweet → semi-sweet

But what matters more is how it feels:

Dry: no sweetness, may feel "drying" on the palate
Semi-sweet: softer and rounder

If you’re unsure, take a small sip and wait 5 seconds. Sweetness always shows up.