Sweet white wine is one of the most unfairly dismissed styles in the cellar. Made well, it is not sugary but luminous, held in perfect tension by acidity.

The secret to great sweet wine is balance. Sugar alone is cloying; it is the racing acidity underneath that keeps a fine sweet white fresh and drinkable. The category runs from barely-sweet to profoundly rich, so there is an entry point for everyone.

The Gentle End

Off-dry Riesling and lightly sweet Moscato are the easy introduction, low in alcohol, fragrant and only just sweet, lovely on their own or with fruit and spice. Nothing heavy, nothing serious, just charm.

Liquid Gold

At the grand end sit the legends: Sauternes, made from botrytis-shrivelled grapes, and Tokaji from Hungary, the wine of emperors. These are intense, honeyed and ageless, all apricot, marmalade and saffron, yet lifted by that essential thread of acidity. A half-glass with pudding, or blue cheese, is one of wine's great pleasures.

Give sweet white wine a chance and it repays you handsomely. Serve it well chilled, in small measures, and let its brightness surprise you.