10 Sweetest Wines to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
Most wine lovers enjoy a glass of sweet wine now and then, and with good reason. There’s something about a sweet wine that just makes you feel good. Maybe it’s the fruity flavors or the way the sweetness coats your tongue. Sweet wines offer a delicious way to satisfy your sweet tooth while enjoying a refreshing beverage.
Here are 10 of the sweetest wines available on the market today. Whether you’re looking for a dessert wine to pair with your favorite dessert or simply want something sweet to drink on its own, these wines are sure to please.
What defines a sweet wine?
Sweet wine is a wine that has high levels of residual sugar. Residual sugar is the unfermented grape juice left in the wine after fermentation. Sweet wines can be either still or sparkling. While many people think of sweet wines as syrupy and cloying, there are some very delicious and well-balanced options.
What to look for in a sweet wine
The wine’s producer – A wine producer determines the sweetness. Famous varietal wines and styles tend to have the same degree of sweetness. The sweetness of wine varies from almost 0 to over 70%. On a standard sweetness chart, sweetness ranges top-to-bottom in the following brand order – Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Malbec Port, and Tawny Port.
Actual sweetness level – Less than 1% sweetness wines are generally considered dry. However, wines with more than 3% sweetness taste “slightly dry” or sweet. Wines with a sweetness of 5% or more are particularly sweet! Dessert wines start at around 7-9% sweetness.
Please note that fermented and freshly distilled wines are processed using different oenological distillation processes using various starting fermentable materials, e.g., corn, grape, barley, whey/wheat, and other sweet fruits with sweet alcoholic sugar sources.
The sugars in the grapes are broken down during fermentation to produce alcohol, and depending on how much of that sugar resides in the wine after that process, will determine how sweet or dry the wine is.
The 10 sweetest wines you’ll love
You can find out more about dry/sweet red and white wines, also a wide variety of wines. But in this article, we want to look at the sweetest wines. Here is a list of the top 10 sweet wines:
Vietti Moscato d’Asti
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Vietti’s passes for the best overall sweet wine. It is readymade in Piedmont, Italy. It has an ABV of 5% with canned peach, candied ginger, and honeysuckle tasting notes.
In the world of overall sweet wines, Vietti Moscato checks every case. Produced by Vietti, one of Piedmont’s most revered names, this wine is exceptionally affordable and made from organically grown fruit.
Above all, it is well-balanced with a high proportion of pleasant sweetness and natural acidity. Notes of canned peach, white petals, candied ginger, and honeysuckle dominate the wine’s frothy palate. Serve with savory appetizers, fruit desserts, or sweet brunch dishes (waffles, pancakes, and more).
Niepoort Ruby Port
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Super-sweet Red wine, Niepoort Ruby, was created in Douro, Portugal. It has an ABV of 19.5%, with tasting notes of red & black fruits, cherries, and dried figs.
You may need to forgo the past mass-produced ports you’ve tasted. This organic gem from Niepoort is as innovative as ever.
The sizzling and expressive taste comes from old, low-yielding vines from the Cima Corgo region of the Douro. The wine is meant to be drunk young. It is aged for three years in large wooden barrels before being released to the market. The wine is ruby red with aromas of red and dark fruits, plums, cherries, and hints of dried figs. The bad news for many is that it contains sulfites (an allergen).
Peter Lauer Barrel X Riesling
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Lauer Barrel is a characteristic semi-sweet wine made in Mosel, Germany. It has an ABV of 10.5% with tasting notes of citrus sweetness, lime juice, and petrol (special rock oil)
Are you skeptical of sweet wines? You could start with a semi-sweet bottle. Lauer is one of Germany’s most respected producers, but this entry-level wine is just as beloved as its high-end cuvées. Notes of sweet citrus, lime juice, petrol, and a hint of honey dominate this refreshing wine. You may pair it with various spicy takeout favorites for a fantastic taste.
Domaine des Nouelles Rosé d’Anjou
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Domaine des Nouelles Rosé d’Anjou is one of the Best Rosé wines produced in Anjou, Loire Valley, France. Its sizzling and expressive taste made into a bottle of Domaine des Nouelles is derived from fruity, bright, and full-sweet aromas distilled from sweet cherries, red currants, and rose petals. Domaine des Nouelles Rosé d’Anjou is distilled into a non-fortified ABV of 10.7%.
Abacela Winery Blanco Dulce
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This expressive white wine is a late-harvest sweet wine from Southern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley and comes from 100% Albariño. The sweet tasting notes of peach and honey await you in the glass. It also has a rich acidity that enlivens the palate and adds a crispy tingling to the finish.
Domaine Sigalas VinSanto
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Domaine Sigalas is complex in every way as an exceptional sweet wine. It comes with a blend of Assyrtiko (75%) and Aidani (25%), and the winemakers dry the harvested grapes in the Santorini sun for about two weeks.
The dried grapes are thereafter gently crushed and transferred into French oak. Owing to its very high sugar content, fermentation can take up to three years, and the wine is aged in oak barrels for at least seven years before bottling.
This manufacturing process permeates intense oxidized notes, caramel, molasses, and attractive floral tones, giving the wine profile an incredible range and depth of sweetness.
Santa Julia Tardío Late Harvest Torrontés
Torrontes comes from a white grape native to Argentina. It has much in common with Muscat of Alexandria, with its floral and tropical fruit aromas, and may be a descendant of the former.
At cheap grape tasting notes, this late-harvest bottling offers an easy and accessible entry into the sweet wine realm. Aromas of ripe stone fruit and candied citrus give way to acidity and juicy fruit for a pleasing finish that is mouthwatering.
Schlink Haus Silvaner Eiswein
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Schlink Haus is a sweet dark red wine. This German ice wine offers an immersive drinking experience. With its impressive amber tones, butterscotch notes, and a hint of saltiness, it tickles the nose, followed by a sweet and fruity flavor on the palate. It has a subtle hint of oxidation that adds an extra layer to the nose and palate, suggesting hard-aged cheese as an ideal pairing.
1850 Companhia Vinicola da Madeira CVM: Malmsey Vintage
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Madeira’s vintage dark red wine comes from the old Malvasia grape variety. It is one of the sweetest wines from the Madeira, Malvasia appellation in Portugal. This slightly sweet dessert wine is popular for its caramelized, dense texture in the mouth, and the traditional sweetness and flavor of the Malvasia Grape feel puckery on the palate.
Château d’Yquem, Sauternes
Photo Credit: yquem.fr
Château d’Yquem in the Sauternes district of Bordeaux is famous for producing the expensive Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon variety. The 1971 Château d’Yquem is a vibrant, balanced French white wine that pairs well with blue cheeses. It has sweet honey-tasting notes with an earthy texture. This sweet white wine has a bitter finish perfectly balanced with honey sweetness.
Final Thoughts
End of the day, we all have a sweet tooth. And when it comes to wine, there’s nothing quite like satisfying that craving with a glass or two (or three) of some of the sweetest wines.
Whether you’re looking for dessert wines to pair with your favorite sweets or just want something tasty and easy to drink on its own, these ten wines are sure to please. What are you waiting for? Try out some of our favorites and see how delicious they can be!
