Sweet wine is the great finish to a meal, a glass of something rich, honeyed and vivid, or a treat to drink on its own in place of pudding. What holds it together is acidity, so the best examples taste concentrated and lush without ever turning cloying, and a small pour goes a long way.
How dessert wine gets its sweetness
Almost every great sweet wine comes down to concentrating grape sugar. Noble rot, the benign form of botrytis, shrivels ripe grapes and deepens them into something honeyed and apricot-scented, the secret behind Sauternes in Bordeaux, the Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese of Germany, and Hungarian Tokaji. Late-harvest wines leave the fruit on the vine to ripen further, and Riesling carries this best, holding its acidity as the sugars climb. In Italy growers dry the grapes instead, the passito method behind Tuscan Vin Santo and Veneto's Recioto. Coldest of all is ice wine, pressed from grapes left to freeze on the vine so only the sweet, concentrated juice runs off.
Fortified sweet wines, and how to serve them
The other great family is fortified, where grape spirit stops the fermentation early and leaves natural sweetness behind. This is the world of vintage and tawny Port, treacly Pedro Ximénez Sherry and Madeira, which is nearly indestructible once opened. Browse the wider range of fortified wine if that is your leaning. However you drink them, serve sweet wines well chilled, around 8 to 10°C, in small glasses. They shine next to salty blue cheese such as Roquefort, with foie gras, and alongside fruit tarts, though many are happiest sipped on their own.
Dessert wine FAQ
How should I serve dessert wine?
Chilled and in modest measures. Around 8 to 10°C keeps whites and botrytis wines fresh, while tawny Port and Pedro Ximénez are fine a touch warmer. A small pour is plenty given the concentration.
What food pairs with sweet wine?
Blue cheese and foie gras are the classics, the salt and richness playing against the sweetness. Fruit tarts, almond pastries and crème brûlée work well too, and most styles are lovely on their own after dinner.
Do dessert wines age?
The best age superbly. High sugar and bracing acidity act as natural preservatives, so a fine Sauternes, Tokaji or Madeira can hold and improve for decades.