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Dessert Wine: The Best Sweet Wines to Discover

Looking for a wine to beautifully finish a meal? Welcome to the world of dessert wines! Whether they're botrytized, naturally sweet, sparkling, or fortified, these wines bring an irresistible sweet touch.

In this article, we'll explore the great French classics, as well as gems from Italy, Hungary, and elsewhere. Whether you're looking for a wine to accompany a dessert, cheese, or just a good moment, you're in the right place.

What is a Dessert Wine?

A dessert wine is simply a sweet wine, perfect for ending a meal on a sweet note. But be careful, there are several ways to obtain this natural sugar:

Noble rot: a magical fungus (Botrytis cinerea) that concentrates sugars in the grape (Sauternes, Tokaji, Muffato della Sala).
Passerillage: the grapes are left to dry until they become ultra-sweet (Vin de Paille, Vin Santo).
Mutage: a little alcohol is added during fermentation to keep the natural sugar (Banyuls, Port, Maury).
Ice wine: grapes are harvested after frost, for a concentrate of sugar and acidity (Canadian Icewine, German Eiswein).

The Best Dessert Wines in France

France is a world reference for sweet wines. Here are the must-haves:

1. The Great Botrytized Wines

Sauternes (Bordeaux): The king of sweet wines, with notes of honey, apricot, and white flowers. Château d'Yquem is the Rolls-Royce of the genre.
Monbazillac (South-West): Less expensive than Sauternes but just as delicious.
Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux, Quarts-de-Chaume (Loire): Ultra-aromatic Chenin Blanc, perfect with foie gras.
Jurançon Moelleux: More exotic, with notes of passion fruit and pineapple.

2. Naturally Sweet Wines (VDN)

These wines are fortified with alcohol to preserve their sweetness. Perfect with chocolate or fruity desserts!

Banyuls & Maury (Roussillon): Sweet reds with aromas of cocoa, black fruits, and spices.
Muscat de Rivesaltes & Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise: Fresh and floral muscats, ideal with fruit tarts.

3. Straw Wines and Late Harvest

Vin de Paille from Jura: A concentrate of dried fruits and honey, aged for several years.
Gewurztraminer and Riesling Vendanges Tardives (Alsace): Sweet but balanced, with nice freshness.

The Sweet Wonders of Italy

Italian wine is also a gold mine for dessert wine lovers. Each region has its sweet treasure!

1. Dried Grape Wines

Recioto della Valpolicella (Veneto): A sweet and intense red, with notes of black cherry and cocoa.
Recioto di Soave (Veneto): The white version, more floral and honeyed.
Vin Santo (Tuscany, Umbria, Trentino-Alto Adige): An amber and complex wine, served with Cantucci (almond biscuits).
Muffato della Sala (Umbria): A botrytized wine Sauternes-style, but with an Italian touch.

2. Sweet Sparkling Wines

Moscato d'Asti (Piedmont): Slightly sparkling, ultra-fruity, ideal for a light end to a meal.
Asti Spumante (Piedmont): More effervescent and sweet, perfect for celebrations.
Brachetto d'Acqui (Piedmont): A sweet sparkling red wine, with aromas of strawberry and rose.

3. Fortified and Sweet Wines

Passito di Pantelleria (Sicily): A powerful muscat, with notes of date and dried apricot.
Malvasia delle Lipari (Sicily): A rare treasure, perfect with almond desserts.
Aleatico Passito (Tuscany, Latium): A sweet red with aromas of cherry and spices.

Hungarian Wine: The Essential Tokaji

If you like great sweet wines, it's impossible to overlook Tokaji Aszú. Made from a blend of 3 grape varieties (Furmint, Hárslevelű, and Sárga Muskotály), this Hungarian white wine is produced with noble rot, like Sauternes. Its sweetness is measured in Puttonyos (from 3 to 6, depending on the intensity of sugar).

Tokaji Aszú: A perfect balance between sugar and acidity, with notes of apricot, honey, and spices.
Tokaji Eszencia: One of the sweetest wines in the world, which can age for decades!
Tokaji Szamorodni: Less sweet than Aszú, but just as aromatic, it comes from whole clusters where some grapes are affected by noble rot.

Other Great Dessert Wines of the World

Beyond France, Italy, and Hungary, other countries produce exceptional dessert wines.

1. Vin de Constance (South Africa)

A mythical wine, produced since the 17th century at the Klein Constantia estate. This Muscat de Frontignan gives a golden nectar with notes of marmalade, apricot, and spices. Napoleon was fond of it, and it is still considered one of the best sweet wines in the world.

2. Ice Wines (Icewine)

Ice wine is a true jewel from Canada and Germany. The grapes are harvested frozen, which gives intense, sweet but fresh wines.

Canada (Ontario Icewine, British Columbia): Produced with Riesling or Vidal, it's a wine with aromas of tropical fruits and honey.
German & Austrian Eiswein: Less sweet than Canadian Icewine, with sharp acidity and notes of green apple.

3. Port (Portugal)

Tawny and Ruby Ports are perfect to accompany chocolate or nut desserts.

4. Malaga (Spain)

A barrel-aged Muscat, with notes of caramel and dried fruits.

How to Choose Your Dessert Wine?

With chocolate → Banyuls, Maury, Recioto della Valpolicella, Port.
With a fruit tart → Sauternes, Tokaji, Vin Santo, Vin de Constance.
With blue cheese → Amber Rivesaltes, Sauternes, Tokaji, Vin de Paille.
With a citrus dessert → Muscat, Moscato d'Asti, Icewine.

At Vinodelice, we offer you a unique selection of Naturally Sweet Wines from Roussillon. The perfect opportunity to enter the fascinating world of dessert wines!