Region: Piedmont, Italy | ABV: 5% | Tasting notes: Canned peaches, Candied ginger, Honeysuckle In the world of sweet wine, Vietti Moscato checks all of our boxes. Produced by one of Piedmont’s highly respected names, this wine is extremely well-priced and made with organically farmed fruit. Above all, its pleasant sweetness is balanced by high amounts of natural acidity
Region: Anjou, Loire Valley, France | ABV: 10.5% | Tasting notes: Sweet cherries, Red currants, Rose petals In Anjou, one of the Loire Valley’s major wine-producing zones, reds and rosés made from cabernet franc are of great renown. Unlike the dry rosés of Touraine, Sancerre and other Loire-based appellations, rosés from Anjou (Rosé d’Anjou) are known for being off-dry and slightly sweet. .
Region: Mosel, Germany | ABV: 10.5% | Tasting notes: Sweet citrus, Lime juice, Petrol Skeptical about sweet wine? Start off with a semi-sweet bottle, like this affordable gem from Peter Lauer. Lauer is one of Germany’s most highly-regarded producers, though this entry-level wine receives just as much love as his high-end cuvées. Notes of sweet citrus, lime juice, petrol and a touch of honey dominate this refreshing wine.
Region: Douro, Portugal | ABV: 19.5% | Tasting Notes: Red and dark fruits, Cherries, Dried fig Forget the mass-produced ports you’ve tasted in the past—this organic gem from Niepoort is as game-changing as it gets. This youthful and expressive wine is produced from low-yielding old vines in the Cima Corgo region of the Douro.
Region: Vouvray, Loire Valley, France | ABV: 13% | Tasting notes: Canned pears, Tropical fruit, Honey This sustainably-farmed wine is produced by Didier Champalou, a Loire Valley-based vigneron who’s been farming vineyards since 1983. Vouvray is regarded as one of the best growing sites in the world for chenin blanc (known locally as Pineau de la Loire).
Region: Bugey-Cerdon, Savoie, France | ABV: 8% | Tasting notes: Raspberry, Strawberry, cream Bubbles, rosé and a dash of residual sweetness—what could go wrong here? In the case of Patrick Bottex, absolutely nothing. This non-vintage wine is produced via the méthode ancestrale, meaning that fermentation is halted within the bottle and residual sugar remains trapped in the wine.
Region: Champagne, France | ABV: 12% | Tasting notes: Stone fruit, Grilled almonds, Dried fruits For refreshment, elegance and a touch of sweet sophistication, look no further than Demi-Sec Champagne. This style of bubbles has a well-balanced dosage, meaning that a solid mixture of still wine and sugar is added to the Champagne post-vinification to boost its sweetness.
Region: Piedmont, France | ABV: 5% | Tasting notes: Fruit cocktail, Citrus, White flowers This under-$20 bottle from Asti (Piedmont, Italy) is the perfect pre-dinner aperitif, as its soft flavor profile and slight sweetness prepare the palate for a long meal. Moscatos from Asti are known for their perfumed aromatics and captivating flavor profiles.
Region: Sauternes, Bordeaux, France | ABV: 14% | Tasting notes: Honey, Orange marmalade, Tropical fruit For nights that call for something extra special, opt for this delicious bottle of sauternes. These high-quality dessert wines are produced from botrytized grapes grown in the southerly vineyards of Bordeaux.
Region: Piedmont, Italy | ABV: 5.5% | Tasting Notes: Stone fruit, Mandarin, Honey Looking to dive into the world of sweet wine but not sure where to begin? Moscato is a great place to start. These frothy, easy-drinking wines from Piedmont are known for their freshness, fizziness, and all-around enjoyable sweetness. This easy-to-find bottle from Risata jumps with vibrant flavors of juicy stone fruit, mandarin orange, and honey