Dessert wine comes from super-sweet grapes, which are made by stopping the fermentation process before it changes all the sugar into booze.
As the name suggests, they’re designed to be enjoyed after dinner, preferably – but not always – with dessert (in which case, a bottle that matches or exceeds the sweetness of the pudding is recommended). A strong cheese board, though, can sometimes stand up to the sweetness of a dessert wine, while many can also be sipped solo.
Because brandy is sometimes added to the wine to stop the fermentation process, dessert wine is often more alcoholic than other kinds, which is why it’s often known as fortified wine. But it’s not the only kind: there are late-harvest dessert wines, whereby the grapes are harvested later in the year for a riper, sweeter taste, or noble-rot, when a fungus attacks the ripe grapes to give them incredible sweetness.
As with all other wines, most regions across the world lay claim to their signature dessert wine, from Sauternes in France – a sweet white wine – to Sherry and Port in Spain and Portugal respectively, both sweet red wines, and even Eiswein in Germany and Austria – a white ‘ice wine’.
Anjali Douglas, an educator at WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust), sheds some light. “Over recent years, we’ve seen a trend towards drier styles of dessert wine, and now sugar is making waves once again. It makes sense that we like sweet wines – our palates are designed to enjoy sugar!”
She adds: “Sweet wine producers have become much less fussy about the context in which these wines should be enjoyed. Younger drinkers feel more able to experiment – think white ports made long with tonic or Sauternes sipped over ice. Plus, many of the world’s top sweet wines have become an increasingly vital part of the bartenders’ cocktail-making toolkit – for example, wines like Petro Ximénez Sherry or rosé Port are used in place of simple syrup for added depth and complexity.
Sweet wines can be some of the most well-made and painstakingly-produced wines available, too, and represent some of the best value-for-money. These wines are increasingly attracting price-conscious drinkers who still want to enjoy top-quality wine.”
Good news for the growing number of drinkers recently discovering its credentials. But, with so many bottles on offer – and varying levels of sweetness to decipher – it can be hard to see the wood for the trees.
Here, we spotlight just a small handful of the latest and greatest dessert wines to tuck into, providing a brilliant way to conclude a meal (or, at least, before moving on to spirits).
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Belmonte Marlborough Botrytised Riesling 2017
What can only be described as dessert in itself – with rose aromas and flavours of marmalade, apricots, ice-cream, pear and honey – this lip smackingly good bottle is brilliant with blue cheese after dinner is done. Combining sweetness with crisp acidity, it fills the mouth and treats the senses, while the golden hue is beautiful in the glass. No wonder this New Zealand wonder has won so many awards.
Buy now £13.99, Virgin Wines
Hattingley Valley Entice Dessert Wine 2022
Good news: Hattingley Valley, the Hampshire-based winery best known for its British sparkling, has produced its very own dessert wine. Entice, a limited release, is perfectly pale in colour and comes with a delicious honeyed character and aromas of tropical fruit and blossom accompanied by notes of lemon and elderflower on the palate. Serve this deliciously creamy number chilled with a blue cheese or a summer pudding.
Buy now £25.00, Vivino
Calafia Delicious Sweet Moscatel
At the budget end of the scale, this sweet and luscious Moscatel from Spain goes down an absolute treat, packing aromas of marmalade and floral notes with refreshing citrus on the palate. Team with a fruity dessert like a summer pudding to bring out its best.
Buy now £5.35, Asda
The Best Botrytis Semillon
Using late-harvested and hand-picked grapes, the luscious Botrytis Semillon from The Best collection of wines at Morrisons is a deliciously creamy way to wrap-up a meal, deep-gold in colour with tangerine peel, apricot and pineapple notes.
Buy now £7.25, Morrisons
Errazuriz Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Gloriously golden, the Errazuriz Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc is bursting with bright aromas of papaya, honey, apricot, walnut and almond complemented by beautiful flavours of citrus and pastry (is there a better combination?). Soft and velvety on the palate, with a refreshing acidity, you get serious bang for your buck in this Chilean find.
Buy now £9.92, Amazon
Tesco Finest Dessert Semillon
Hailing from Australia, this Semillon is golden and intense with flavours of citrus, peach and apricot that make for a sumptuous and fresh accompaniment to dessert. A brilliant bottle that won’t break the bank.
Buy now £6.25, Tesco
Zuccardi Malamado Fortified Malbec 50ml
The first ever fortified wine from Argentina, Malamado Malbec is not dissimilar to port with a deep-purple colour and an immensely concentrated taste of ripe plums, black fruits, dried figs and mixed spices. Enjoy by itself or mix into a killer cocktail by combining white rum, lemon juice, blackberry jam and sparkling water over ice with a slice.
Buy now £9.00, Tesco
2017 Berry Bros. & Rudd Sauternes by Château Suduiraut, Bordeaux
Fresh, fruity and floral – only ever-so slightly, mind – this premium dessert wine from France goes against the grain when it comes to the typically heavy and sweet hallmarks of Sauternes. It perfectly balances sweetness and acidity to pair with pretty much any food (especially hard or blue cheese). Expect aromas of orange blossom and candied apricot; and flavours of quince, white peach, allspice, stem ginger and honey. A bottle with bite.
Buy now £18.95, Berry Bros & Rudd
Kloster Eberbach Crescentia Steinberger Riesling Spatlese
Intensely floral with aromas of honeysuckle and a touch of citrus, this Spatlese is sunshine in a glass, complete with ripe, honeyed fruit flavours, bright citrus acidity and a luscious sweet palate. A German superstar that goes as well with cheese as it does desserts.
Buy now £29.50, ND John
Kurtatsch Ushas 2017 Moscato Rosa Passito
A limited-edition rosé dessert wine? We’re in. This comes with flavours of strawberry jam, pomegranate and mulled wine together with aromas of orange marmalade and strawberry preserve. It comes from the Dolomites in Italy and is made from extremely dry grapes that are credited for its intense concentration and delicious sweetness.
Buy now £36.45, Independent Wine
Masi Angelorum Recioto della Valpolicella Classico
An aromatic, fruity dessert wine from the Valpolicella region of Italy that’s deliciously smooth and refined. Expect a rich nose of cherries and a complex palate that’s sweet but structured. Fruits, tarts or pastries, it’s a decadent match to a raft of desserts, while just as good, if not better, with gorgonzola cheese.
Buy now £25.99, Oakham Wines Online
Mas Cristine Rivesaltes Ambré
Made in an underrated area of the South of France by an Englishman, the unlikely Mas Cristine Rivesaltes Ambré is a delicious and complex sip that’s sweet but light with aromas of walnuts, tea and apricots. Serve as an aperitif, not just with dessert - although if you do a tarte tatin or blue cheese, a serve of this works wonders.
Buy now £23.50, Amathus Drinks
