Sweet wines for the end of the meal
Dessert Wine
Dessert wines concentrate sugar through late harvest, botrytis 'noble rot', or drying the grapes, then often finish on a higher residual sweetness. The finest pair brilliantly with — or without — pudding.
How it's made
Sweetness comes from leaving sugar unfermented. Botrytis-affected grapes (Sauternes, Tokaji) concentrate flavour; late-harvest and ice wines rely on natural concentration; some styles fortify partway through fermentation.
At a glance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Serving temperature | 6–10°C (chilled) |
| Key regions | Sauternes, Mosel, Tokaj, Loire Valley |
| Food pairings | Tarte Tatin, creme brûlée, blue cheese, fruit desserts, itself |
Signature grapes
Riesling
Riesling is one of the world's greatest white grapes — aromatic, intensely acidic, and profoundly age-worthy. …
Sémillon
Sémillon is a versatile white grape best known for two very different wines: the great sweet wines of Sauterne…
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc is the great white grape of the Loire Valley and South Africa, capable of an extraordinary range …
Muscat
Muscat is one of the oldest and most fragrant grape families, recognisable by its distinctive grapey, perfumed…
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer is one of the most aromatic and distinctive white grapes, famed for its intense, perfumed chara…