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If we had one small wish for the new year, it would be that sweet wines make a comeback. In a recent Oeno Files newsletter piece on Port, we lamented the fact that we’re no longer asked if we want a sweet wine with our dessert in restaurants; we are just offered cappuccino and espresso. This happens even in fine-dining establishments, which have a dedicated selection of by-the-glass sweet wines sharing space with the dessert menu. It’s no wonder that legacy sweet wine regions like Portugal’s Douro Valley (the home of Port) and Hungary’s Tokaj-Hegyalja (birthplace of Tokaj) are producing dry wines alongside their luscious, sweet offerings. Don’t get us wrong, we love a good dry Douro red or Hungarian Furmint, but we would love to see sweet wine regain its standing among wine lovers.

There is an unfortunate misconception among wine drinkers that wine with higher residual sugar (RS) is cheap and not to be taken seriously. Prior to the Prohibition, Americans brought their sweet tooth to the liquor store, and fortified or Port-style wines—what the Australians call “stickies”—reigned supreme. With the destruction of the United States wine industry under the Prohibition and the post-WWII shift toward fine, dry vino from France and Italy in the middle of the 20th century, sweet wine fell out of favor. Although there are bursts here and there of a comeback, usually fueled by sommeliers and wine journalists, we have not seen a sustained movement toward a return to the glory days of sweet wine.

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Some of the finest wines in the world are sweet. What sets a well-made option apart is its acidity, which keeps the sugar in check and keeps the wine from feeling overly cloying. Due to their high sugar content and high acidity, sweet wines age beautifully and will last for many years when properly cellared. And while we love these with dessert or even on their own at the end of a meal, we also like the idea of serving them with savory appetizers or main courses. Here are the main styles to look for:

Fortified: Neutral spirits or brandy are added to wine during fermentation, which kills the yeast and maintains a higher level of residual sugar. Fortified wines such as Port, Madeira, and Marsala have a higher sugar content than dry wine as well as a higher alcohol level.

Late Harvest: This is a specific way of producing wine where the grapes are left on the vine for an extended period, typically one to two months past the normal harvest time. This process allows the grapes to dry out, thus concentrating the sugar content within them.

Ice Wine: A distinctive form of wine made from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. Harvest often occurs as late as December or January. The freezing process results in the water inside the grapes freezing while the sugar does not. This leads to a sweeter wine with a concentrated flavor profile.

Passito: Passito refers to wines made from dried grapes. As the grapes dry, the sugar within is concentrated, producing a wine with a higher sugar content and increased alcohol level.

Botrytized: This term is associated with the gray mold known as Noble Rot or Botrytis cinerea. This mold dehydrates the grapes, increasing their fruit sugars and acids. The result is a wine with an intense, sweet flavor profile deriving from these more concentrated berries.

Fortified wine can originate from any location, but botrytized wines and ice wine rely on specific weather and climatic conditions, limiting their production to a few specialised regions. The term “passito,” a style of wine from Italy, may be familiar to those with a basic understanding of Italian. This article presents a selection of the world’s finest sweet wines.

The regions of Sauternes and Barsac, completely enclosed within Bordeaux, constitute about 2% of the area of the region. Yet, wine producers in these zones stress that they were awarded 27 grand crus in the renowned classification of 1855. The prevailing weather conditions, with foggy mornings and sunny afternoons, are conducive for the growth of Botrytis cinerea, bestowing upon the wines their rich texture and flavours of citrus and apricot preserves, caramelised pineapple and subtle traces of baking spices, with hints of beeswax and acacia honey.

The authorised grape varieties for these wines are Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. Typically, Semillon constitutes 80% of the grapes used in the final wine, with Sauvignon Blanc making up 20%, and a miniscule percentage of Muscadelle adding significant intensity to the aroma. Some recommended bottles come from Château d’Yquem, Château Rieussec, Château Climens, Château de Fargues, and Château Caillou.

These wines pair excellently with savoury dishes such as blue cheese, foie gras, fried chicken, grilled pork chops, and butternut squash risotto.

Dessert Pairings: Apple pie, peach pie, pear tart, crème brulée.

Made from botrytized Furmint, Harslevelu, and Muscat Blanc grapes, Tokaji Aszú was referred to as the “The King of wines, the wine of Kings” by Louis XIV. Unaffected grapes are harvested initially in September to produce the base wine, with the rest of the grapes left on the vine to fall under the influence of botrytis. These grapes shrink, concentrating their sugars until the later harvesting phase in late October or November. The botrytized grapes that are harvested are placed in large baskets known as puttony and then added to 136-liter barrels of base wine. The quantity of sweet grape baskets added to the base wine gives the Tokaji Aszú the Puttonyos rating of 5 or 6 Puttonyos, with 6 Puttonyos being the sweetest on the Puttonyos scale.

For a Tokaji Aszú wine to be designated as a 5 Puttonyos wine today, it needs to have a minimum of 120 grams per liter of residual sugar. A wine marked as 6 Puttonyos needs to contain at least 150 grams per liter of residual sugar. The Eszencia wine can be as sweet as 450 grams per liter and is quite the rarity. The flavor boasts dried apricots, canned pineapple, tropical fruits, and white blossoms, with a smooth palate feel and well-balanced acidity. Notable producers include Oremus, Royal Tokaji, Diznoko, Chateau Dereszla, and Patricius.

Savory Pairings: Gorgonzola, Stilton, or Cabrales cheese, foie gras, Peking Duck, Thai curries.

Dessert Pairings: Vanilla or dulce de leche ice cream, crème caramel, tarte tatin.

A style of sweet, fortified wine from the Douro Valley, Port is made with with five main red-grape varieties, but 80 varieties are allowed. Many Ports are “field” blends, with multiple varieties picked and vinified together. Here, the neutral spirit is known as aguardiente. Port is made in two main styles, Ruby and Tawny.

Ruby Ports are deep red to violet in color, with full texture and flavors of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, and notes of licorice, clove, and anise. Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Ports are from a single harvest year and are aged four to six years before bottling. Vintage Ports are made from the best wines from a single exceptional harvest. They are aged in wood for approximately two years prior to bottling and will continue to age in the bottle for many more years. The finest are from single estates called quintas; the label will include the producer’s name, quinta name, and vintage year. Vintage Ports come only from “declared” years, meaning they are not made every year. Recent standout vintages include 2020, 2017, 2016, 2014, and 2011. Excellent producers include Taylor-Fladgate, Fonseca, Croft, Quinta de la Rosa, Quinta de Noval, and Warre’s.

Savory Pairings: Pulled pork sandwiches, barbecued ribs, Stilton, Epoisses.

Dessert Pairings: Brownies, chocolate lava cake, pecan pie.

The name of tawny Port derives from the amber “tawny” hue it obtains from aging in barrels. This type of Port also gets a pleasant nutty or oxidative texture due to its prolonged stay in wood. There are four variations of Tawny Port: Tawny, Tawny Reserve, Tawny with an Indication of Age (10, 20, 30, or 40 years old) and Colheita. Only Colheita originates from a single year’s harvest and has to be wood-aged for a minimum of seven years. For the remaining three variations, a combination of different years’ harvests may be used. The complexity of Aged Tawnies is astounding, thanks to the extensive barrel aging. Recently, there have also been introductions of 50-year tawny Port into the market. We can anticipate complex flavors like dried fruits, nuts, and caramel balanced against a robust acidity. Some of our recommended choices include Graham’s, Kopke, Dow’s, Quinta do Vallado, and Quinta do Crasto.

Savory Pairings: Sauteed chicken with mushrooms, risotto with walnuts and blue cheese, roast suckling pig.

Dessert Pairings: Cheesecake, butter pecan ice cream, chocolate mousse.

The Italian winemaking method being used since the Roman Empire’s era involves the process of partially dehydrating grapes on their vines towards the end of the season. These grapes are then further dried on large screens either under the full sun or inside facilities equipped with good ventilation. The drying process can last from a few weeks to a maximum of six months. After drying, these grapes are prepped for fermentation. Among the two leading types of wine produced through this method are Vin Santo and Passito di Pantelleria.

Vin Santo, which translates to “holy wine,” hails from the region of Tuscany. This wine is produced using Trebbiano, Malvasia, and Sangiovese. If you have ever visited a restaurant in Florence, Siena, or any part of the Tuscan countryside and you received a glass of sweet wine after your meal, this might just be the wine you had. It may taste a bit “hot” on first taste, but it eventually brings out flavors of orange marmalade, honey, almond, hazelnut, and toffee. Famed producers of Vin Santo include Avignonesi, Capezzana, Marchese Antinori, and Isole e Olena.

For the savory pairing, try combining it with chicken cooked in peanut sauce or pasta mixed with walnut sauce. As for the dessert pairings, it can best be paired with biscotti, almond cookies, or pignoli cookies.

Passito di Pantelleria originates from a tiny island located near Sicily and is crafted from the Muscat of Alexandria grape, locally referred to as Zibibbo. It offers delightful tastes of preserved apricot, honeycomb, canned peach, and butterscotch. Some of the top bottles of Passito di Pantelleria are produced by Donnafugata Ben Rye, Carole Bouquet, Cantine Pellegrino, and Marco De Bartoli.

Suggested Savory Food Pairings: Pair it with chicken marsala, crunchy roast pork, or pasta mixed with blue cheese.

Best Dessert Pairings: It complements fig cookies, apple pie, or cheesecake.

Ice Wine is a product of Canada’s Niagara Peninsula, Germany, and various European countries. True to its name, Ice Wine is manufactured from grapes that have naturally frozen on the vine. Riesling and Gewürztraminer are primary choices in Europe, whereas Canada also incorporates Vidal, a white crossbred grape extensively cultivated in Canada and New York State. There are red variants available, made with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and other grapes. Every year, it is increasingly challenging to attain the low temperatures necessary for this style, given that the grapes must be naturally frozen on the vine and harvested when the weather is 20° F. The German versions are termed Eiswein. Regardless of where it’s made, a high-quality white ice wine includes flavors of apricot, peach, honey, and subtle baking-spice, along with pronounced acidity and a syrupy texture. Cabernet Franc–based ice wine presents flavors of baking spice, white chocolate, cherry, and blackberry. Some of the best Canadian producers comprise Inniskillin, Jackson-Triggs, Peller Estates, and Mission Hill. The top German bottles are brought to you by Egon Müller, Schloss Johannisberg, Dr. Loosen, and Weingut Donnhoff.

Savory Pairings: Fried chicken, blue cheese, baked brie, caramelized onion quiche.

Dessert Pairings: Flan, cheesecake, rum raisin ice cream.

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