Sweet wines have a complex acidity that requires specific climates to create a delicious sweetness for the discerning palate. Many wine connoisseurs pair sweet wines with dessert, but the best sweet wines complement fruits, cheese, or an exhausting day.
We’ve curated a list of the best sweet wines in 2023 that you’ll want to serve at your next party or intimate gathering. We’ve broken our list into red, white, and sparkling sweet wines that you can pair easily. These spectacular wines are sure to surprise and delight your guests.
10 Best Sweet Wines for 2023
These are the best sweet wines from around the world that you need to taste in 2023:
Best Sweet Red Wines
Several sweet red wines pair well with food and dessert. Here are our favorite picks:
Dutton Estate Winery Sweet Sisters Late Harvest Syrah
A bold and fruity Syrah late harvest vine from the Russian River Valley, Dutton Estate Winery Sweet Sisters Late Harvest Syrah offers chewy tannins for texture and a touch of black pepper for additional seasoning. A favorite among port drinkers, this sweet wine is priced around $25.
Feudo Montoni Passito Rosso Terre Siciliane IGT
A Sicilian red sweet wine, Feudo Montoni Passito Rosso Terre Siciliane IGT has notes of raisin, mocha, dark chocolate, balsamic vinegar, and blackberry coulis. It’s an excellent pairing with stinky cheeses, gamey meats, or dark chocolate. A bottle of this sweet red wine is about $45.
Niepoort Ruby Port
Niepoort Ruby Port is an organic sweet red wine from Portugal. It has notes of dark plums, cherries, and dried figs. This wine is aged in wooden vats for three years before being sold, intended to be drunk young. This sweet wine can be paired with food or enhance other drinks. This sweet port is sold for about $18 a bottle.
Want a universal wine glass that works well for dessert wines? Shop our best-selling Piccolo Glass Set.
Related Link: 7 Best Wine Accessories for Every Occasion
Best Sweet White Wines
Often considered the sweetest dessert wines, these white wines won’t disappoint:
Champalou Vouvray La Cuvee des Fondraux
Champalou Vouvray La Cuvee des Fondraux is a delicious sweet white wine from France. This wine is sustainably-farmed in the Vouvray region, renowned for one of the world’s best climates for growing Chenin blanc. This sweet wine has notes of canned pears, tropical yellow fruit, ripe melon, and honey. This is a delicious pair with stinky cheese, fruits, or spicy dishes. You can buy a bottle for about $25.
Chateau d’Yquem
For special occasions that call for a more sophisticated sweet sauternes, you’ll want to have a bottle of Chateau d’Yquem. A high-quality dessert wine from Bordeaux, France, it has notes of tropical fruit, orange marmalade, and honey. You’ll want to splurge for this $227 bottle.
Abacela Winery Blanco Dulce
Made from 100% Albarino farmed in Oregon, Abacela Winery Blanco Dulce 2020 is a late-harvest sweet white wine. It has notes of peaches, honey, and apples. The sweet wine has a refreshing spray and rich acidity. Abacela Winery Blanco Dulce is an excellent wine to pair with dessert. You can pick up a bottle for about $30.
Oremus Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos
Oremus Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos is a complex Hungarian sweet wine that utilizes the noble rot technique to maintain a high sugar content and high alcohol level. This sweet Tokaji wine has notes of citrus, floral, stone fruit, honey, chamomile, golden raisins, and caramelized nuts. This dry wine has rich acidity and bold flavors. A bottle costs around $108.
Looking for new stemware for serving sweet wine? Shop our exquisite crystal stemware that will elevate your next gathering.
Related Link: How to Store Wine at Home: Best Ways + Tips
Best Sparkling Sweet Wines
Like a little bubbly with distinctly sweet flavors, try some of these delicious bottles:
Vietti Moscato d’Asti
Out of Piedmont, Italy, Vietti Moscato d’Asti is a semi-sparkling wine that has distinct notes of canned peaches, candied ginger, white flower petals, and honeysuckle. It is an affordable sparkling sweet wine that pairs well with brunch or fruity desserts. This wine is excellent overall because it has a pleasing sweetness and high natural acidity. Price averages around $19 a bottle.
Inniskillin Sparkling Vidal Icewine
An ice wine from Ontario, Canada, Inniskillin Sparkling Vidal Icewine is a delicious sparkling sweet wine made from Vidal varieties and pressurized for optimal effervescence. It has notes of orchard fruit and floral. With bold acidity, Inniskillin Sparkling Vidal Icewine is an ideal wine for gifting. You can pick up a bottle for about $90.
Patrick Bottex Bugey Cerdon La Cueille
Patrick Bottex Bugey Cerdon La Cueille is one of the best sweet sparkling rose’ from France that has a light sweetness. It has notes of strawberry, raspberry, and cream, making it an ideal pairing for desserts, fruits, and cheeses. The bubbles make it an excellent choice for celebrating. You can purchase a bottle for about $23.
What Wine is the Most Sweet?
Most people consider Moscato and Moscatel wines as the sweetest dessert wines because of their low alcohol levels and bold flavors. French sauternes are also popular sweet wines because the grapes are partially raisined, giving them a distinctly sweet flavor. Riesling wines have fruitier sweet profiles that are very sweet too.
What is the Best Stemware for Sweet Wines?
Most people don’t buy special stemware to serve a dessert wine. You should own a beautiful universal glass that can serve a variety of wines. But if you want stemware that will enhance the sweet wine experience, you should consider buying:
- Port glassware
- Sherry glassware
- Stemless white wine tumbler
- Dessert wine stemware
Taste of Purple offers the finest wine glasses and stemware to enhance your wine tasting experience. Let us elevate your dessert wine’s flavor, adding a touch of elegance to your next gathering.
Related Link: How to Hold a Wine Glass for Every Type & Occasion