5 Styles of Dessert Wine

Some wines are a perfect match when paired with specific desserts, but what about those times you don’t feel like eating a heavy dessert and still want a nice treat at the end of your meal? There are styles of wine that are meant to be savored and treated as a dessert. Relax and enjoy your dessert wine while sipping it slowly and savoring every note, flavor and sparkling bubble. There are a variety of dessert wines to choose from and to share with your friends.

1-      Sweet Red Dessert Wine – Sweet red wines commonly have “Dulce”, meaning sweet, on their labels. Freisa is a red wine that has floral cherry notes and is a great choice for a dessert wine. Lambrusco is a sparkling wine with notes of blueberry and raspberry. Brachetto d’acqui has aromas of strawberry and is a bubbly red dessert wine.

2-      Rich Sweet Dessert Wine – Muscat wines and Constantia are good choices when looking for a rich, sweet dessert wine. In addition to these sweet, rich wines there is also the rare ice wine. Ice wines are created when a vineyard freezes and the grapes are still frozen when they are harvested and pressed. This unique method of creating wine from frozen grapes results in a richly sweet wine with notes of honey.

3-      Light Sweet Dessert Wine – Chenin Blanc, Riesling and Viognier are all sweet, light wines that are a great choice as a dessert wine. Enjoy savoring every sip on its own or pair it with desserts that are vanilla flavored or fruit based.

4-      Fortified Wine – Sherry, Madeira and Port wines are a great choice for a dessert wine. Fortified wine has a high alcohol content and long shelf life. The grape brandy that is added to a wine is makes the wine sweet.

5-      Sparkling Dessert Wine – Those who enjoy bubbles will enjoy a sparkling dessert wine such as Asti Spumante, Demi-Sec Riesling and Moscato d’Asti. These delightful sparkling wines provide a sweet flavor combined with bubbles.

Indulge in these amazing options of dessert wines the next time you are celebrating, ending a meal, out with friends or relaxing with family. The sweetness and notes of each wine are meant to be savored and shared!