Sweet wine is far more sophisticated than its reputation. Behind every great example is a clever, often laborious way of concentrating sugar, and a thread of acidity that stops it cloying.

All sweet wine solves the same puzzle: how to leave sugar in the glass without making something heavy. The answer is always concentration plus acidity. Where winemakers differ is in how they concentrate the sugar in the first place, and that gives us the great families of sweet wine.

The Four Great Routes to Sweetness

Late harvest leaves grapes on the vine to shrivel and sweeten. Botrytis, the noble rot, is a benevolent fungus that dehydrates the fruit and adds a saffron complexity, as in Sauternes and Tokaji. Fortification stops fermentation early by adding spirit, keeping natural sweetness, as in Port and PX sherry. And ice wine freezes the grapes on the vine, pressing out only the concentrated sweet juice.

Where to Begin

A gently sweet Tokaji is the perfect first step, honeyed and rich yet bright, while a drying-grape Recioto shows the red side of the family. From there, the whole golden world of dessert wine opens up.

Poured in small measures and served cold, sweet wine is one of the table's greatest pleasures. Whichever route to sweetness you prefer, the reward is the same: intensity, balance and length.