What is a Good Sweet Wine?

Today, the majority of white wines are fermented dry, in other words, not sweet, which many people prefer as a match to chicken, fish or other light meals.

However, there are times when sweeter white wine is desired, which begs the question, “What is a good sweet wine?”

Sweet wine is made by adding unfermented grape sugar. The higher quality wines are made by concentrating the sugar in the grapes, sometimes by purposefully infecting the grapes with a fungus that forces them to shrivel and concentrate their juices.

Another method that makes the sweet wine known as ice wine is to leave the grapes on the vine throughout the winter, causing the juices inside to freeze and the sugars to concentrate.

All of these methods are excellent ways to make what is a good sweet wine, and each method brings a different flavor profile to the table, creating a range of different and interesting products.

Choosing a sweet white wine can be difficult: there are so many choices, that it can be hard to decipher what is a good sweet wine. The best help you will receive is by asking questions of your wine seller, however, there are a few facts about different sweet white wines that can help you in making your decision.

Sauvignon Blanc is a very common sweet white wine. It is light and crisp and not nearly as heavy and syrupy as some other white wines on the market. It is a common choice for those unsure of whether they like sweet white wine and want to test the waters.

Sauternes and Barsac wines are famous the world over, and may be the first answer you get if you pose the question, “What is a good sweet wine?” Sauternes and Barsac both contain Semillon grapes, which are rich, sweet and berry-like and have a similar flavor profile to figs. The combination of grapes in these two wines makes them syrupy and heavy.

Muscat wines are drunk in many parts of Europe, where the sweet grapes grow naturally. The wines made from these grapes are very fruity and difficult to describe without mentioning the particular flavor of the grape itself.

Riesling is a light wine that is easy to drink and is usually served fresh and cool. Riesling is a German sweet wine and one of the most popular of the sweet white wines.