Sweet White Wine Types: the World of Sweeter Sips
You don’t have to be a Sommelier to learn about different types of wine and how to pair them with food. It’s something I’ve always strived to learn about and have compiled a few notes about sweet white wines. For wine lovers who prefer a touch of natural sweetness in their glass, sweet white wines offer a rich and diverse world of flavors. Whether you’re enjoying a glass on its own or pairing it with light desserts or spicy foods, sweet whites can be a great match for many occasions.
In this blog post, we’ll explore different types of sweet white wine, from world-renowned Riesling wines to luscious dessert wines, and highlight what makes each type unique—from sugar content and fermentation process to wine regions and flavor profiles.
This post is all about sweet white wine types.
[RELATED POST: Dry Red Wine Types: A Guide to the Best Varietals]
Table of Contents
Understanding Sweetness in Wine
The sweetness levels in white wine depend largely on the residual sugar left after fermentation. Winefolly.com has a great chart for a visualization of both red and white wines that put wines on a scale from bone dry to very sweet, and everything in between. While dry white wine undergoes full fermentation, converting most of the grape sugars into alcohol, sweet wines retain more natural grape sugars, resulting in a higher sugar level and lower alcohol content—though some dessert wines can also have higher alcohol content due to unique winemaking techniques.
According to Vinissimus, “The concept of sweetness is not determined solely by the variety or region but by the amount of residual sugar remaining in the final product… To understand the levels of sweetness in dry white wine, factors such as grape maturity at harvest and yeast fermentation must be considered. More mature grapes tend to have higher sugar content, leading to a sweeter end product if not fermented to full dryness. In addition, winemakers can manipulate sugar levels by stopping fermentation early or adding sweetening agents before bottling.”
Now that we have a basic understanding of how we get sweet white wine, let’s start taking a look at popular types of wine and what we can pair them with.
A Closer Look Summarized: What Makes a White Wine Sweet?
These sweet wines are not just the result of the above. Several factors influence a wine’s sweetness:
- Fermentation Process: How much sugar is converted to alcohol.
- Natural Sweetness: Some grapes have more natural sugars.
- Noble Rot (Botrytis Cinerea): A fungus that concentrates sugars, used in famous sweet wines like Sauternes.
- Climate: Cool climates favor high acidity, which balances sweetness.
- Winemaking Techniques: Use of oak barrels, malolactic fermentation, or even stopping fermentation early.
Popular Types of Sweet White Wine
What are some sweet white wines that are popular to mention? We’ll take a look at Riesling, Moscato, Ice Wine, Vin Santo, late harvest wines, and other honorable mentions.
Riesling
Often considered one of the best sweet white wines, Riesling wines come from cool climates like Rhine region in Germany, Alsace, and the Willamette Valley. Known for their crisp acidity, floral aromas, and tropical fruit or stone fruit notes, sweet rieslings offer a beautiful balance of sugar and acidity. This type of grape is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wines. Since it has the potential to make different types of wine that cover a wide range on the dry to sweet scale, it’s a very food friendly wine that can be paired with creamy/buttery dishes to spicy.
Food Pairings: Thai cuisine, spicy foods, light desserts, and blue cheese.
Sweetness Levels: Ranges from dry to sweet.
Moscato (Muscat Grape)
Made from the muscat grape, moscato is a sweet white wine with floral notes, orange blossom, and hints of green apple and peach. It originated Piedmont, or Piemonte, region of Italy. The most famous wines from this grape variety are Moscato d’ Asti and Asti Spumante. It’s a popular choice for casual sipping or dessert pairing. The wine is light bodied and sweet, light bubbles (or frizzante), and has a low alcohol content of just 5.5%.
Regions: Italy, United States, South Africa
Best With: Fruit tarts, fruit cobblers, cheesecake, creamy desserts, and even brunch foods.
Ice Wine
Produced in very cold climate zones, ice wine (or eiswein) is made by pressing frozen white grapes to extract a highly concentrated, sweet juice. Ice wines are made from grapes that have been left on the vine and freeze. This process results in dessert wines with high residual sugar and vibrant acidity. The sugar in the grape and other dissolved solids don’t freeze, but the water in the grape does. This allows for a more concentrated grape juice to develop. The grape must is then pressed from the frozen grapes.
Grape Varieties: Typically made from Riesling, Vidal Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, as well as many other types of grapes.
Flavors: Candied citrus, pineapple, and honey
Vin Santo
A traditional Italian dessert wine, vin santo is often made from white grape varieties like Trebbiano and Malvasia. This wine originated in Tuscany and its name means ‘holy wine’. It’s known for nutty flavor, like hazelnut, caramel, and dried fruit notes. The grapes are laid out on a mat and dried during the wine making process. They’re left to dry out for months, becoming raisins. The raisins are then pressed and ferment in barrels known as caratelli. The whole fermentation process takes up to 4 years to complete.
Best Paired With: Biscotti, foie gras, or creamy blue cheeses
Sugar Content: High, with deep, aged complexity
Late Harvest Wines
Late harvest wines are made from grapes picked later in the season, allowing natural sweetness to intensify. They’re left on the vine longer than other grapes are harvested. This style often features complex flavors like honey, apricot, and tropical fruits.
Key Varieties: Sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, pinot gris, and gewürztraminer
Regions: Loire Valley, Bordeaux region, Hunter Valley
Other Notable Mentions
- Chenin Blanc: Versatile and used in both dry and sweet wines, especially in the Loire Valley.
- Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris: Typically dry white wines, but late harvest versions can offer sweeter wines with rich fruit flavors.
- Grenache Blanc and Pinot Blanc: Occasionally used in semi-sweet white wines with floral aromas and light body.
- C. Sauvignon & Pinot Noir: While these are red wines, their growing regions (like the Bordeaux region or New Zealand) are also known for producing quality white wine grape varieties.
How to Choose the Right Sweet White Wine
How do you know which wine you’ll like? It’s a lot of trial and error, and being willing to try different ones to see which ones you enjoy. However, to get a better breakdown and summary, if you enjoy:
- Light, fruity wines: Go for Moscato or semi-sweet Riesling
- Bold dessert pairings: Try Ice Wine or Vin Santo
- Balanced acidity: Look for Loire Valley chenin blanc or sauvignon blanc late harvests
Check a wine sweetness chart to compare wine styles, or experiment with different types from various wine regions around the world.
Final Thoughts
From the rich sweetness of ice wines to the fruity elegance of rieslings, the world of sweet white wines is vast and exciting. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your palate, there’s a great wine out there for every occasion.
With so many varieties of white wine, exploring by type of wine, flavor profile, or wine region is always a great idea.
🍷 FAQs
Q: What are the sweetest white wines?
A: Ice wine, vin santo, and some late-harvest rieslings are among the sweetest white wines, thanks to their high residual sugar.
Q: Can sauvignon blanc be sweet?
A: Typically a dry wine, but late harvest versions of sauvignon blanc can be sweet and rich in fruit flavors.
Q: What foods pair well with sweet white wines?
A: Spicy foods, blue cheese, light desserts, and dishes with tropical fruits or foie gras are excellent matches.
Q: Is sweet white wine low in alcohol?
A: Many sweet whites have low alcohol content, but dessert wines like vin santo may have higher alcohol content.
This post was all about sweet white wine types.
Resources
“Sommelier” (2023, April 8). Understanding White Wine Sweetness Levels. Vinissimus. https://www.vinissimus.co.uk/en/content/white-wine-sweetness-levels/
