Wine Essentials

10 Types of Sweet Wine to Enjoy, From Dessert Wine to Champagne

Sweet wines are far more complex than one might think. Learn about the main types of sweet wine and how they’re made here.

By 

Jillian Dara

 |  October 28, 2024

Sweet wines are often misunderstood. Like any wine, though, there are many types of sweet wine that producers make using various grape varieties and winemaking techniques. In fact, once you understand the background of sweet wines, you’ll undoubtedly have a better appreciation for their unique profiles — and, therefore, a new perspective on their deserving place at your table or in your wine cellar. 

What Is Sweet Wine? 

Sweet wines are medium- to full-body, high-acid wines that taste — as their name suggests — sweet. The sweetness comes from the concentration of residual sugar that’s in this type of wine. A bone-dry wine will have no residual sugar, while sweet wine can contain anywhere from 20 to 75 grams per liter of residual sugar. (That’s about 3% to 9% residual sugar.) Due to this concentration of sugar, sweet wines typically have a low alcohol by volume (ABV). In fact, all wines under 12% ABV are going to offer some sweetness. However, there are exceptions, and some sweet wines have high levels of alcohol, most notably when it comes to fortified wines, such as port.

Sweet wines are a popular after-dinner drink, either sipped neat or alongside a complementary sweet pairing. However, some sweet wine fanatics find a thrill in showcasing unique pairings outside of the after-meal menu. Taylor Fladgate, for example, likes to pair its ruby port with steak or egg-based dishes. Wines like sweet Riesling are a harmonious pairing with spicy cuisine like Thai and Indian curries. Due to sweet wines’ unique characteristics (viscous texture, lower ABV, and inherent sweetness), it can be fun to play with new pairings to see how the wines evolve with different dishes.

How Is Sweet Wine Made?

This category becomes even more fascinating when you realize that there are a variety of different methods to make sweet wine. It all starts with how the grape develops its sugars on the vine; the goal is for the grapes to develop as much sugar as possible, which means leaving them on the vines way past a typical harvest date. For some styles, including ice wine, this period extends well into January so that the grapes can freeze. As the grapes remain on the vine, they become more susceptible to fungal growth and dehydration, which may not sound romantic, but it’s necessary for flavor and sugar development. Below, discover the most popular techniques for encouraging high sugar concentration in the grapes that winemakers use to produce sweet wines.

Noble Rot 

Scientifically known as Botrytis cinerea, noble rot is a fungus that grows on ripe, thin-skinned grapes in warm, humid conditions. Botrytis attacks the grape, and as a protection method, the grapes will shrivel, which increases both the concentration of flavors and the sugars. Producers use this technique for creating wines like Sauternes, Spätlese and Beerenauslese Rieslings, and Tokaji Aszu.

Late Harvest

A wine with a late harvest label has a high residual sugar level because producers leave the grapes to hang for up to two months past the traditional harvest period. The extended growing period encourages a higher sugar concentration as the grapes begin to dehydrate. The Riesling grape is an exceptional late-harvest grape, as it is an inherently late-ripening variety and high-acid grape, which is toned down the longer it hangs on the vine. In Austria and Germany, late-harvest Riesling will be labeled as Spätlese (which translates to “late harvest” in German) or Auslese (meaning “selected late-harvest grapes”). In Italy and California, Muscat is another popular late-harvest variety that produces a wine ripe with mandarin sweetness. 

Passito  

In Italy, the passito technique is derived from the word appassimento, or withering. After producers pick the grapes, they lay them out on mats or suspend them from the winery’s rafters to dry for around three months or until they become raisins. Then, they press the dried grapes and ferment them to create wines like Vin Santo, a sweet white wine made with Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia Bianca Lunga grapes. Another passito wine is Recioto della Valpolicella, a sweet red wine made from Italian grapes including Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone, Oseleta, and Negrara. 

Fortified

Another way to sweeten a wine is to stop fermentation early by adding a neutral spirit, like brandy. By stopping fermentation early, the wines still have high levels of sugar. (When wine undergoes full fermentation, the yeast devours most of the sugars.) This is the process for sweet ports, Madeira, and Pedro Ximénez sherry.

10 Different Types of Sweet Wine

Sauternes 

Sauternes is a sweet white wine made from noble-rot-affected Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle grapes grown in the Sauternes appellation of Bordeaux, France. The Sauternes region is notorious for its foggy conditions, which accelerate the growth of noble rot. Sauternes wines have a cloying honey sweetness with acidic notes of lemon curd and overripe pineapple; the sweetness pairs exceptionally with nutty cheeses at dessert or with foie gras to begin a meal. The Sauternes Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) requires this wine to have a minimum of 13% ABV, an exception to the lower alcohol rule of sweet wines. 

Barsac is another sweet white wine produced from the same grapes as Sauternes but in the Barsac region in Bordeaux. Barsac tends to showcase a nuttier palate with ripe notes of stone fruit like white peach. There are also Sauternes-style wines produced outside of Bordeaux. For example, in Napa Valley, Far Niente’s Dolce Wine is an exceptional sweet blend of late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes. 

Tokaji Aszú

In the Tokaj region of Hungary, Tokaji Aszú is a sweet white wine produced from noble-rot-affected native grapes. There are only six native varieties permitted within the Tokaji designation: Furmint, Hárslevelü, Kabar, Kövérszölö, Zéta, Sárgamuskotály. The dried grapes (called Aszú berries) are pressed before the addition of a must or base wine to start fermentation. The golden-hued wine must age for a minimum of two years, with at least 18 months in oak barrels, and have a minimum of 120 grams per liter of sugar. The six approved grapes of Tokaji are also used to create Szamorodni, which is only required to be aged for a minimum of 12 months (six months in oak); late-harvest Tokaji, which doesn’t have any aging requirements; and Tokaji Eszencia, which is an extremely rare low-ABV wine crafted from the runoff juice of the Aszú berries and fermented in demijohns. 

Vin Santo 

In its native Italian, Vin Santo translates to “holy wine.” This sweet white wine, renowned for its hazelnut and dulce de leche notes, is most traditional in Tuscany, where it’s served with biscotti (meant for dipping in the wine) after a meal. In Tuscany, Vin Santo is prominently made from Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia Bianca Lunga grapes that have been dried for three months (passito method) before pressing and natural fermentation (usually in the spring as temperatures increase). The process can take up to four years. Vin Santo is also produced in Umbria, Trentino (usually from Nosiola grapes) and Veneto (using Garganega). Vin Santo is another higher-ABV exception to sweet wines, as upper ranges can fall between 13 and 20%.  

Recioto Della Valpolicella

Recioto Della Valpolicella is Italy’s celebrated sweet red wine, also produced using the passito method. To make this wine, producers must use native grapes like Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone, Oseleta, and Negrara grown within the Valpolicella region. They dry the grapes to a minimum alcohol level of 14% ABV until at least December 1, when they can press and ferment them; there are no aging requirements. Whereas sweet white wines have a honey viscosity and golden raisin sweetness, Recioto Della Valpolicella mimics berry jam with notes of fig and overripe cherry. Most people serve it at dessert, pairing this type of sweet wine with soft cheeses or berry-filled pastries.  

Port 

Port wine is native to northern Portugal’s Douro Valley. There are various categories of port, including white and rosé ports, which are typically dry (not sweet), but the most popular category of sweet ports is produced from native red grapes. The most popular of these grapes are Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cão, and Tinta Amarela. Ruby and Tawny are the two main categories of sweet red Port, with varying subcategories. Ruby ports are characterized by ripe, dark cherry fruit and mocha undertones; these include Reserve, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), and Vintage ports. In comparison, Tawny Ports present dried fruit notes (raisin, apricot, prune) combined with almond and walnut notes; they include Colheita, 10, 20, 30, and 40 years. 

Madeira 

One of the oldest types of sweet wine is Madeira, produced on the Portuguese island of the same name in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There are both red and white styles of sweet Madeira; the former is produced from the Tinta Negra Mole grape, and the latter uses the white grapes of Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, and Malvasia. Both red and white sweet Madeira are fortified with brandy during fermentation to preserve the natural sugar content of the grapes. Boal and Malmsey are the sweetest styles of Madeira, presenting rich notes of dried fruit, toasted nuts, and roasted coffee. 

Pedro Ximénez 

Pedro Ximénez (PX) sherry is an exceptionally unique sweet wine. It is produced from overripe PX grapes left to dry and shrivel in the sun after harvest (called oleo in the wines’ native Jerez, Spain) and is fortified twice: once during fermentation and then again after aging in American oak. PX sherry’s aging process is oxidative, which is noticeable on the palate, alongside notes of dried dates, figs, and black licorice. 

Riesling 

Riesling is one of the most versatile white wines, as it can be produced in a range of styles, from bone-dry (absolutely no sugar) to sweet. The sweet styles of Riesling can be produced from either late-harvest Riesling grapes or Botrytis-affected Riesling grapes. Spätlese is the general term for late-harvest Riesling, while Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese refer to Riesling produced with shriveled berries affected by noble rot. These types of sweet wines are round on the palate with distinguishable notes of stewed peach and apricot. 

Ice Wine

The Riesling grape is also popularly used to produce ice wine, or Eiswein in Germany — a wine that must be produced from grapes that froze on the vine. Vidal, a white hybrid grape, and the red Cabernet Franc grape are also used to create varieties of ice wine in parts of Canada and the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York. When the grapes freeze, the sugars separate from the water composition of the grape, which produces a more concentrated juice once pressed. Ice wine is very sweet, with an ABV under 10%. Ice wine requires particular climatic conditions, which means not every region can produce this style of wine naturally. In recent years, some wineries have tried to imitate the style by harvesting grapes and storing them in a freezer. These often have an ice wine label but are not regulated ice wines. Many people enjoy ice wines because they have pure flavors of the grapes and aren’t affected by noble rot. 

Sparkling Sweet Wine

There are many different types of sweet sparkling wines. In Champagne, France, Doux Champagne is the sweetest style of bubbly made here, renowned for its creamy texture (rather than the linear sparkle of a brut Champagne) and a peach jam quality. Demi-Sec Champagne is a semisweet sparkling wine; when produced outside of the Champagne region of France, it’s simply known as demi-sec sparkling wine. Doux and demi-sec styles can be made in white, red, or rosé styles, but in Champagne, they must still be made from the seven approved grapes of the region. 

Moscato d’Asti is Italy’s version of sweet bubbly that is evocative of a sparkling white grape juice. To make it, producers use the white Moscato grape, which has a juicy yet floral palate. Two popular sweet red sparkling wines are also native to Italy: Brachetto D’Acqui and Lambrusco. In Piedmont, producers use the Brachetto grape in the aromatic Brachetto D’Acqui, which tastes like strawberries soaked in sugar and has a popularly described “foamy” texture. In Emilia-Romagna, the sweet Lambrusco, made from the eponymous grape, offers notes of cranberry or raspberry pie. 

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