Dessert Wine: Sauternes, Botrytis Semillon & Luscious Sweet Wines

How Is Dessert Wine Made?

The secret to every great dessert wine is concentrating the sugar in the grape. Winemakers have several beautiful ways to do it.

The most famous is noble rot, a friendly fungus that shrivels the grapes and intensifies their sweetness, the magic behind Sauternes and Botrytis Semillon.

Others leave the grapes to ripen late on the vine, dry them on mats like Italian passito, or press them frozen. Each method makes a sweeter, richer wine.

Popular Dessert Wine Styles

Sauternes is the pinnacle, the great sweet wine of Bordeaux, made from Botrytis affected Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Australia's Botrytis Semillon follows proudly in its footsteps.

From Hungary comes honeyed Tokaji, one of the world's oldest sweet wines, while Italy offers raisiny passito and France its straw dried vin de paille.

You will also find late harvest whites and lusciously sweet Muscadelle, each one a treat.

How to Serve Dessert Wine

Serve dessert wine well chilled, around 6 to 8 degrees, in a small glass, as a little goes a long way. Its sweetness and acidity mean an opened bottle keeps well for a week or more.

Food Pairing Ideas

Dessert wine is a classic with fruit tarts, crème brûlée and creamy blue cheese. Rich Sauternes is famously divine with foie gras.

Better still, it is a dessert in itself, wonderful sipped slowly on its own.

What Is Noble Rot?

Noble rot is the poetic name for Botrytis cinerea, a fungus that, in the right conditions, works wonders on ripe grapes. Far from spoiling them, it makes them magnificent.

It pierces the grape skins and draws out water, shrivelling the fruit and concentrating the sugar, acidity and flavour. The result is intensely sweet, complex and honeyed.

It is the secret behind the world's greatest sweet wines, from Sauternes to Australian Botrytis Semillon and Hungarian Tokaji.

Dessert Wine Questions, Answered

Is dessert wine the same as fortified wine?

No. Dessert wine gets its sweetness naturally from concentrated grapes, while fortified wine like Port or Muscat has grape spirit added, making it stronger.

What is Sauternes?

Sauternes is the celebrated sweet wine of Bordeaux, made from Botrytis affected Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Rich, golden and honeyed, it is one of the world's most treasured wines.

How long does dessert wine last once opened?

Longer than dry wine. Its high sugar and acidity keep it fresh in the fridge for a week or more, so there is no rush to finish the bottle.

Why Buy Dessert Wine at YourWines?

Every dessert wine in our collection is handpicked by our team, from legendary Bordeaux châteaux to Australia's finest sticky specialists, all chosen for quality and character. Whatever the occasion, there is a sweet treat here to pour.

Browse the wider sweet wine range, or explore the great sweet wines of France and Australia, the two heartlands of our dessert collection.

For a crisp change of pace, discover our white wine range, or find something rare in our Fine & Rare single bottles. Cheers!