If you want to try sweet white wine but you don’t know where to start, you have come to the right place. There are so many different types of wine that it can be overwhelming to choose between them.
We have put together our recommendations for the best sweet white wines that you should try, along with ideas for food pairings.
What Makes Wine Sweet?
Wine is described as sweet or dry based on how much residual sugar is left in the wine after fermentation. During the fermentation process, the natural sugar in wine is turned into alcohol.
A dry white wine will have very little residual sugar, whereas sweet white wines have more. There are several ways to create sweet white wine. Some varieties of grape are so sweet that not all of the sugar is fermented by the yeast, leaving behind residual sugar.
Other sweet wines have spirit added which halts the fermentation process at a certain point, preventing all of the sugar from being turned into alcohol and ensuring a sweet flavor.
There are also certain varieties of wine which are treated with a special type of mold (You might also want to check out Mold Cork: How Dangerous Is It?). This concentrates the sugars and flavors to create a sweet wine with an intense flavor.
How Should You Serve Sweet White Wine?
A lot of people serve sweet white wine chilled. You can chill the wine in the refrigerator, or in the freezer if you are in a hurry.
If the sweet wine is particularly rich, then you might be better off letting it come up to 50 degrees fahrenheit before you serve it. This will make the most of the flavors.
Which Sweet White Wines Are The Best?
There are lots of sweet wines that you can choose from, which come from various regions around the world. Here are our recommendations for the best sweet wines that you should definitely try.
Sauternes
Sauternes is a French white wine from a region in Bordeaux of the same name. It is usually classed as a dessert wine, but it is not fortified – they are fermented like normal but the grapes are so sweet and concentrated that the yeast cannot ferment all of the sugar.
This leaves a lot of residual sugar. The most prominent flavor notes are honey, apricot, and lemon. Depending on the exact type of Sauternes, you may also taste butterscotch and caramel, ginger, and other fruits like mango and white peach.
Sauternes is full-bodied and long lasting in the mouth, which makes it stand out as an excellent choice. It is traditionally paired with foie gras, but you can also pair it with strawberries and cream or ripe stone fruits.
Viogner
Viogner is a medium to full bodied white wine from the Rhone valley. It has a perfumed, aromatic quality with a high alcohol content and low acidity.
It is quite rich, with a luscious and distinctively heavy texture. Viogner grapes are often used to make dry wine, but the sweet wines are remarkably good. You will notice flavor notes of tangerine, mango, and honeysuckle.
Certain varieties also have notes of vanilla, spice, nutmeg and clove. You can pair this with poached salmon or roast chicken. It also works well with stone fruits like apricots.
Chenin Blanc
Chenin blanc can be white or sparkling, dry or sweet. It is quite zingy, with the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity that makes it easy to drink and versatile. It is quite floral with zesty notes of mandarin.
Look for the notes of dried persimmon, toasted almond, mango and ginger. This wine pairs really well with fish and rich seafood like lobster and crab. You could also serve it with a creamy chicken or pork dish.
You could also serve it with a cheese course as it goes particularly well with blue cheese. If you are looking for a dessert to pair with chenin blanc, try a peach cobbler or apple crumble.
Riesling
Riesling is a variety of German wine that can be dry, semi sweet or sweet. The variety of grape comes from the Rhine valley, and is known for a flowery aroma and high acidity. Riesling has a gold yellow color with an intensely sweet flavor.
You should pick up on flavor notes of apricot, crisp apples, honey, nectarine and pears. The aromas of jasmine, honeycomb and lime peel will also be present. Riesling is the perfect wine to pair with desserts including lemon meringue pie or tart berries.
Tokaji
Tokaji is a Hungarian dessert wine with a full body. It is unique as the grapes are late ripened. The grapes are also concentrated with a special type of mold – Botrytis Cinerea – which creates an intense sweetness with notes of honey.
It is thick and syrupy, with notes of marmalade and apricot. Tokaji is difficult to get hold of outside of Hungary and can often be expensive, which makes it a real treat.
If you are looking for the perfect food pairing you can choose dark chocolate, orange, caramelized apple, or roast pineapple.
Muscat
Muscat is sweet and fruity with a perfumed lychee flavor. It is mostly produced in France and Australia. Muscat is made like a classic dessert wine, which means that spirit is used to halt the fermentation process to leave plenty of residual sugar.
It works really well with spiced desserts, especially with stone fruits like plums. You can also pair it with pumpkin pie, or even coffee flavors like tiramisu.
If you are looking for a savory food pairing then try maple candied bacon, salted nuts, or aged cheddar. A combination of sweet and savory works well with muscat.
Summary
Sweet white wines can be paired with desserts or savory dishes for an excellent dining experience.
There are various different types of sweet white wines, and our recommendations will ensure that you try the best ones. Make sure you check the ideal serving temperature for each wine.
I can offer you articles and information about wine from a seasoned sommelier, and now a winemaker too! I hope that you enjoy some of our articles, and start thinking outside of the box when it comes to wine.
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