{"id":383552,"date":"2024-11-10T12:37:21","date_gmt":"2024-11-10T20:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beedvine.com\/?p=383552"},"modified":"2025-10-30T12:17:46","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T19:17:46","slug":"sweet-wine-semi-sweet-wine-worldwide-an-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beedvine.com\/sweet-wine-semi-sweet-wine-worldwide-an-introduction\/","title":{"rendered":"Sweet Wine & Semi-Sweet Wine Worldwide: An Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Understanding Wines on the Sweeter Side<\/h2>\n

Sweet wines, both sweet white wine and sweet red wine were a big deal until recent history, in fact they dominated wine production and were drank far more than dry wine. Known for its sugary taste, these wines come in many varieties. In this guide, you\u2019ll learn about different types of sweet wines, from sparkling to fortified, and discover some of my top recommendations for each.<\/p>\n

There are dozens of categories of quality sweet wine \u2013 many unknown even to citizens in the countries where they are produced.<\/p>\n

There are hundreds if not thousands of high quality sweet and semi-sweet wines waiting to be discovered!<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had the pleasure of tasting \u00a0a few memorable quality sweet and semi sweet wines and met with some of the producers. I will include these in the recommendations while we explore the wines by country, category and region in subsequent articles.<\/p>\n

The first in the series will focus on Bordeaux, please read that\u00a0HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s not get too far ahead, I believe this first article is a worthy aperitivo <\/em>in the multi course meal: a series of posts on our\u00a0\u2018Honey Wine to Everything Wine & Honey\u2019<\/a>\u00a0Blog.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s best to whet your appetite before sipping with a good read!<\/p>\n

Wine Sweetness Level – Changing Preferences with Time<\/h2>\n

The change to drier wines happened gradually, compounding rapidly and unnoticed, and then seemingly, all of a sudden. The ancient Greeks & Romans and other civilizations drank almost exclusively sweet wines as it was easier to store, since sweet wine does not oxidize nearly as fast as dry wine (mainly due to the higher osmotic pressure of sugar (this is why a sugar syrup is used to preserve canned fruits for example).<\/p>\n

Also, corks were widely used starting only in the 16th<\/sup>\u00a0century \u2026 so before that oxidation was a serious issue. Moreover, sweet wines have historically been the staple wine of the Christian Eucharist, especially in Catholic traditions.<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s start with two astounding facts \u2026one from California and the other one from Bordeaux.<\/p>\n

Sweeter Side Wine in New World<\/h3>\n

California is the biggest producer of wine in the United States, by far and prior to 1968, there were more sweet wines produced in California than dry wine (although a vast majority of this was low quality).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Old World Obsession of the Sweetest Wine<\/h3>\n

On the opposite end of the quality spectrum in terms is Bordeaux, the <\/em>premier wine region of the world and the mainstay of investment grade wines. Before 1940 Bordeaux production was as high as 35% sweet wine, but production has precipitously declined to only about 1 percent today! Note, sweet wines were not just a 1940\u2019s fad in Bordeaux \u2026<\/p>\n

To give you an idea of how ingrained sweet wines were in French culture, the widely acknowledged best producer, Ch\u00e2teau d\u2019Yquem (the first sweet Bordeaux classified as\u00a0Premier Grand Cru<\/a>), mentioned sweet wines as early as 1816.<\/p>\n

\"Ch\u00e2teau

Ch\u00e2teau d’YQUEM, Sauternes 1er Cru Sup\u00e9rieur 2008 Magnum 150ml (~$700)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Honey Wine<\/h3>\n

Interestingly, honey wine,\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0most ancient wine, or wine-like drink, suffered the same fate globally (one exception is Ethiopia where it is still consumed as a national beverage). If you\u2019re open to learn about this fascinating non-grape wine found around the world, there\u2019s more in our award winning book\u00a0The Celebrated Story of Honey Wine<\/em><\/a> (free, 1-click, e-book or audiobook).<\/p>\n

Sweet Sparkling Wine<\/h2>\n

These are truly my favorite and the reason I embarked on making a world-class semi sweet (demi sec<\/em>) sparkling wine myself<\/a>.\u00a0 Sparkling sweet wines add a festive touch to any occasion with their bubbly effervescence and delightful sweetness. Moscato d\u2019Asti \u2014 which I sampled in a video tasting<\/a> – you can also link to that video from the blog article focused exclusively on Moscato wines<\/a> \u2014 is a gently sparkling wine that retains a natural sweetness due to its lower alcohol content. This Italian gem is perfect for those who enjoy a wine that is both refreshing and sweet.<\/p>\n

Demi-Sec Champagne is another sparkling wine that falls into the \u2018off-dry\u2019 category, containing more residual sugar than brut styles, thus offering a sweeter taste. The unique carbonation and flavors of sweet sparkling wines like Moscato d\u2019Asti and Demi-Sec Champagne make them appealing to various palates, including off dry wines.<\/p>\n

Grape varieties also play a role in the sweetness of these wines. Muscat grapes, for example, are famed for their sweet aromas, enriching the overall experience. Next time you\u2019re celebrating, a bottle of sparkling sweet wine can elevate the occasion.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

Rich and Sweet White Wines<\/h2>\n

Semi-Sweet White Wine <\/em><\/h3>\n

The choices of quality sweet white wines around the world are frankly endless. The well known semi-sweet varieties of Riesling, Moscato and Gewurztraminer can be found at your local supermarket. Yet you will not find Frascati Cannellino (not a chance!) \u2013 a tiny\u00a0DOCG<\/a> southeast of Rome, and nor will you find our\u00a0Demi-Sec still<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Demi-Sec sparkling<\/a>\u00a0honey wine.<\/p>\n

Sweet or Dessert White Wine <\/em><\/h3>\n

Truly sweet wines, or dessert wines (like\u00a0Sauternes<\/a>)\u00a0are known by many throughout the world, yet there is a vast universe of obscure gems beyond Sauternes. Take sweet Mavrodaphne for example: In the 19th<\/sup>\u00a0century (1854 to be exact), German-born Gustav Clauss settled around Patras in Greece and started making the first of its kind, and the tradition continues today!<\/p>\n

\"Gustav

Gustav Clauss, the Father of Mavrodaphne<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

The Role of Botrytis or Noble Rot<\/h4>\n

Some of the best and most expensive sweet dessert wines in the world are made with \u2018late harvest\u2019 grapes with botrytis. Noble rot, as it is also called, occurs when the botrytis fungus affects healthy & ripe grapes.<\/p>\n

The rot feeds on water in grapes so it concentrates flavors & sugars, effectively helping to dry out the grape. This decreases the yield and is one of the reasons some sweet wine can be very expensive.<\/p>\n

Undesirable grey rot on the other hand happens when botrytis visits non healthy and\/or unripe grapes. In the case of unripe grapes, it stops the ripening process.<\/p>\n

Any presence of rot disappears during the fermentation process, but the flavors left behind in the wine include orange peel, dried apricots, raisins and marmalade.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sweet and Semi Sweet Red Wines<\/h2>\n

Besides Port, you really don’t see any other Sweet and Semi-Sweet Red Wine on the shelves of your everyday supermarket or wine shop. However, there are many sweet and semi sweet red categories. The fact they exist and are even<\/em> less known than sweet and semi sweet whites makes them even<\/em> more interesting! So there is dedicated separate article for them (coming soon).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Food Pairings with Sweeter Wines<\/h2>\n

The foods and occasions paired with these wines are as varied as the sweet wines themselves.<\/p>\n

Semi-sweet wines that start with 10-15 grams per liter of sugar are best consumed during meals and spicy foods are a classic pairing. Likewise, chilled semi-sweet wines are a delightful aperitif, especially those with slight effervescence.<\/p>\n

Strong cheeses (with dessert) or as dessert themselves are general recommendations for truly sweet wines like the viscous German Auslese and Hungarian Tokay which can have well over 150 grams per liter!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Final Thoughts <\/u><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sweet wines and honey wines have had a glorious past. As overall wine consumption is currently\u00a0in decline<\/a>, perhaps this is the opportunity for the sweets to stage a comeback?<\/p>\n

Regardless, let\u2019s explore more of them together \u2013<\/p>\n

Stay Tuned & Stay Forever Sweet, Cheers!<\/p>\n

Ayele Solomon Bee d\u2019Vine Winemaker<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Understanding Wines on the Sweeter Side Sweet wines, both sweet white wine and sweet red wine were a big deal until recent history, in fact they dominated wine production and were drank far more than dry wine. Known for its sugary taste, these wines come in many varieties. In this guide, you\u2019ll learn about different […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9936,"featured_media":383988,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[104,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-383552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sweet-wine","category-world-of-wine"],"yoast_head":"\nSweet Wine Guide - the world of Sweet Wine & Semi-Sweet Wine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sweet wines - the ultimate guide and introduction. 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