Dessert wine is a type of wine that is often served as a conclusion to a meal and is meant to be drunk with desserts or sweet dishes. There are different types of dessert wines, each with their own flavor profile and characteristics. In this article, we will discuss the different types of dessert wines and describe their characteristics.
Below you will find a list of the most famous dessert wines:
1. Sauternes - a sweet white wine from the Sauternes region of Bordeaux, France
2. Icewine - a dessert wine made from grapes frozen on the vine and harvested at sub-zero temperatures
3. Port - a fortified wine from Portugal, often drunk as a dessert wine
4. Sherry - a fortified wine from Spain, often drunk as an aperitif or dessert wine
5. Moscato d'Asti - an Italian sparkling dessert wine made from the Muscat grape
6. Tokaji - a Hungarian dessert wine made from noble rot grapes
7. Late Harvest - a dessert wine made from grapes that were harvested later in the season and therefore have developed more sugar
8. Vin Santo - a sweet Italian dessert wine traditionally served with cantuccini cookies
9. Madeira - a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira, often drunk as an aperitif or dessert wine
10. Banyuls - a French dessert wine made from the Grenache grape in the Roussillon region, often served with chocolate or blue cheese.
11. Beerenauslese - a dessert wine made from grapes affected by noble rot
12. Auslese
13. Spätlese
14. Straw wine
Below is a detailed description of the above wines.
ad1. Sauternes
Sauternes is a delicious sweet dessert wine produced in the Sauternes region near Bordeaux, France. It is a blend of three grape varieties: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. The grapes are picked when they are overripe and affected by noble rot (also known as "Botrytis cinerea"), which concentrates the grapes and increases the sugar and acidity levels.
This wine has a deep golden color and has a complex flavor that is sweet, fruity and floral. The wine has notes of apricot, honey, peach, vanilla and sometimes citrus fruits and flowers. It also has a high acidity, which gives it a fresh taste, despite the sweetness.
Sauternes is an ideal dessert wine and pairs well with rich, creamy desserts such as crème brûlée, cheesecake, foie gras and fruit desserts. It is also a delicious wine to drink as an aperitif or to pair with spicy cheeses. It is often drunk in small glasses and at a low temperature (around 10-12 degrees Celsius), partly because of its price. Sauternes is a delicious and elegant wine that is the perfect ending to a special meal.
Ad2. Icewine
Icewine, also known as Eiswein in German, is a dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen on the vine. Freezing the grapes concentrates the sugars and flavors, resulting in a very sweet wine with a rich, syrupy texture. Icewine is often produced in colder climates, such as Canada and Germany, and is a popular wine to drink with fruity and chocolate desserts. Click here for a more detailed description of icewine.
Ad3. Port
Port is a sweet, fortified wine that comes from the Douro Valley in Portugal. It is usually made from a blend of several grape varieties, including Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Touriga Franca.
What makes Port unique is that it is fortified with a neutral brandy, which stops the fermentation and retains a higher alcohol content than regular wine. This leaves some residual sugar in the wine, giving Port its characteristic sweet taste.
There are several styles of port, including Ruby, Tawny, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), and Vintage port. Ruby is the most accessible style and has a deep red color with aromas of red fruits. Tawny port is brownish red in color and has a more developed flavor, with notes of dried fruits and nuts. LBV is a style that has been aged in barrels for a few years longer than Ruby and has a softer, more developed flavor. Vintage port is produced only in the best years and has an intense, complex flavor that improves with age.
Port is often served as a dessert wine, as it is sweet and pairs well with desserts such as chocolate, cheese and nuts. It can also be enjoyed as an aperitif or after dinner as a digestif. Port is usually served at room temperature or slightly chilled and can be kept in the bottle for many years, making it a popular choice as a gift for special occasions.
Ad4. Sherry
What makes Sherry unique is its production process, known as the Solera System. This is a complex method in which the wine is aged and blended in a series of barrels stacked in rows, with the youngest wine poured on top of the older wine.
Sherry comes in a variety of styles, ranging from very dry to sweet, depending on the grape varieties used and how long the wine is aged. Some examples of Sherry styles include Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Oloroso, Pedro Ximenez, and Cream Sherry.
Sherry is a popular drink often served as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to appetizers and cheese platters. It has a unique flavor and aromas, making it a great addition to many dishes.
Ad5. Moscato d'Asti
Moscato d'Asti is a sweet, sparkling white wine that comes from the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. The wine is made from the Muscat Blanc grape, which is known for its pronounced muscat aromas and flavors.
Moscato d'Asti is usually low in alcohol (around 5-6%), and is often served as a dessert wine because of its sweet taste and slightly sparkling bubbles. The wine is usually light yellow in color and has an intense aroma of flowers, honey and ripe fruit, such as peach and apricot.
The unique thing about Moscato d'Asti is that it is naturally made sparkling by the wineries. Instead of carbonating the wine through artificial additives or fermentation, the wine is briefly fermented during the vinification process to preserve the natural bubbles.
Moscato d'Asti is often paired with desserts, such as fruit salads, sorbets and light pastries, but can also be served as an aperitif. It is a popular wine in the summer due to its light and refreshing character, and is considered one of the most accessible dessert wines due to its soft and inviting taste.
Ad6. Tokaji
Tokaji (also called Tokaj) is a famous Hungarian wine that is mainly produced in the Tokaj-Hegyalja region in northeastern Hungary. The wine is made from grapes that grow on the sunny hills and plateaus around the villages of Tokaj. The grapes used for Tokaji are mainly Furmint, Hárslevelű and Sárgamuskotály.
What makes Tokaji so special is the process of noble rot. This is a natural process where the grapes are attacked by fungi, which increases the sugar content of the grapes and develops the flavors and aromas of the wine. The grapes are deliberately attacked by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, which concentrates the sugars and reduces the acidity, resulting in a sweet and aromatic wine with a high alcohol content and a rich flavor.
Tokaji wines are known for their sweetness and rich aromas of honey, apricot and dried fruit, with hints of citrus and flowers. The wine is often classified according to sugar content and age, from dry to sweet and from young to old. Tokaji wines are also known for their longevity and can be stored for decades and improve with age.
Tokaji is an important part of Hungarian culture and history and is considered one of the greatest wines in the world. It is popular as a dessert wine and can be enjoyed with rich desserts, foie gras, blue cheeses and other savoury dishes.
Ad. 7 Late Harvest
Late Harvest is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been harvested after they have fully matured and become overripe. The grapes are often harvested later in the season than normal and are left on the vines longer so that they can develop more sugar.
This extra sugar in the grapes results in a wine that is higher in alcohol and also sweeter than most other wines. Because the grapes are left on the vines longer, the winemaker can also pick them at a higher acidity than normal, creating a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.
Late Harvest wines tend to have intense aromas of ripe and dried fruits, such as apricots, peaches and honey, which can also be found in the flavor of the wine. These wines are often served as dessert wines and pair well with rich and sweet desserts such as crème brûlée, chocolate cake and fruity tarts. They can also be served with blue cheeses or foie gras for a savory contrast to the sweetness of the wine.
Ad8. Vin Santo
Vin Santo is a traditional Italian dessert wine produced in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. The wine is made from dried grapes that are laid out on mats or in baskets to dry before being pressed. This process, known as appassimento, concentrates the sugars and flavors in the grapes, giving the wine a sweet and rich taste.
The grapes used to make Vin Santo vary depending on the region and producer, but can include Trebbiano, Malvasia, and Sangiovese. After pressing, the wine is poured into small oak or chestnut barrels where it is aged for three to five years or longer.
Vin Santo has an amber to mahogany hue and offers aromas of dried fruit, nuts, honey and caramel. The wine has a sweet taste, with notes of dried fruit, candied orange peel and honey, and can have a high alcohol content. It is often served as a dessert wine, and pairs well with desserts such as cantuccini (almond cookies) or a plate of cheese with nuts.
Vin Santo is considered one of the most prized wines from Italy and is known for its complexity and depth of flavor. It is a wine that is usually produced in small quantities, making it a special and often expensive treat for wine lovers.
Ad.9 Madeira
Madeira is a dessert wine that comes from the Portuguese island of Madeira. It is a fortified wine, which means that extra alcohol is added during the production process to enhance the flavor and alcohol content.
Madeira has a unique taste and aroma due to its special production process. The wine is exposed to high temperatures and oxidation, which gives it a rich and complex taste. There are different types of Madeira, including dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet and sweet.
Madeira is a very versatile wine that can be served as an aperitif, with dessert or even with a cheese platter. It goes well with chocolate desserts, nut tarts, fruity desserts and strong cheeses. Madeira can also be used as an ingredient in sauces and stews because of its unique flavor profile.
This dessert wine has a long shelf life and can be stored for many years without loss of quality. It is a popular choice among wine lovers due to its rich history and distinctive taste.
Ad.10 Banyuls
Banyuls is a sweet, fortified dessert wine from the Mediterranean region of Roussillon, France. It is produced by the process of mutage, in which the fermentation of the grape must is stopped by the addition of alcohol. This results in a high alcohol content of around 15-18%.
Banyuls is made from the grape varieties Grenache Noir, Grenache Gris, Carignan and Mourvèdre. The grapes are harvested late in the season to increase the sugar content and give the wine its characteristic sweet taste. After fermentation, the wine is aged in wooden barrels, where it develops the typical aromas and flavours of dried fruit, caramel, chocolate and spices.
Banyuls can be served as an aperitif or digestif, but is often served as a dessert wine with sweet desserts such as chocolate cake, nut cake and dried fruit. The wine can also be used as an ingredient in sauces and marinades for meat dishes. Banyuls is a rich, full-bodied and sweet wine that is often considered a luxury treat.
Ad.11 Beerenauslese
Beerenauslese is a type of German dessert wine made from overripe grapes that have been affected by "noble rot" (botrytis cinerea). This fungus reduces the water content of the grapes and concentrates the sugars and flavors, resulting in a sweet and complex wine.
The term "Beerenauslese" literally means "selection of grapes", which refers to the process of hand-picking and selecting only the finest, ripest grapes for wine production. These grapes are carefully pressed to extract their sweet juice, which is then slowly fermented and aged in oak barrels.
The wine usually has a golden or amber hue and aromas of honey, apricot, peach and exotic fruits. It has a full body and intense sweetness, with a balanced acidity to keep the palate lively. Beerenauslese is a delicious dessert wine often served with fruity desserts, chocolate, or blue cheese.
Ad.12 Auslese
Auslese is a term used to describe a particular category of dessert wines originating from Germany and Austria.
It literally means "chosen" or "selected" and refers to the way these wines are made. The grapes are carefully hand-picked from the vineyard, choosing only the ripest and most concentrated grapes. They must have a certain minimum must weight, otherwise it cannot be called Auslese.
These grapes have a higher sugar concentration than normal, because they have been left on the vine longer and the sugars have been able to develop. This results in a wine with a higher alcohol content and a sweeter taste.
Auslese dessert wines often have an intense flavor and aromas of dried fruit, honey and flowers. They are usually served as a dessert wine after a meal, but can also be used as an accompaniment to cheese or foie gras.
Ad. 13 Spätlese
Spätlese is a German wine-growing term for when grapes are harvested. It literally means "late picking" and refers to grapes that are picked later in the season than usual, when they are extra ripe and concentrated.
A dessert wine made from grapes harvested as Spätlese is also called a Spätlese dessert wine. This type of wine usually has a higher sugar content and lower acidity than regular wines, making them sweeter and fuller in taste.
The grapes are harvested later because they have had more time to develop sugars, which allows the winemaker to obtain a higher alcohol content and more complex aromas and flavors. For Spätlese dessert wines, the choice is often made to stop the fermentation early, so that there are still residual sugars in the wine and the sweet character is preserved.
Spatlese dessert wines, for example, can be made from Riesling grapes and often have aromas of ripe peach, apricot and honey, and a long finish. They are usually served as a digestif, for example with a cheese platter or a sweet dessert.
Ad.14 Straw wine
Straw wine is a type of dessert wine made by drying grapes on straw before pressing. Drying the grapes reduces the water content of the grapes, which concentrates the sugars and intensifies the flavor. This process is also called 'passerillage'.
Straw wine can be made from a variety of grape varieties, but white grapes such as Chenin Blanc, Muscat and Semillon are most commonly used. The end result is a sweet wine with a high alcohol content, often with rich aromas of dried fruit, honey and caramel.
Straw wine can be drunk as an aperitif or as a dessert wine and goes well with various desserts, such as cakes, pies, creams and sweet puddings. It is an elegant wine that is suitable for special occasions or as a conclusion to a festive meal.
