What is a Sweet Red Wine

Wine Collector

Sweet white and fortified wines have long been popular among wine drinkers. More recently, however, sweet reds have gained acceptance. Many people, even those who don't traditionally enjoy red wine, are discovering they love sweet red wine.

What Makes Wine Sweet?

When winemakers ferment wine, yeast consumers sugar in the grape juice to produce alcohol. How much sugar remains after fermentation determines a wine's sweetness. Winemakers can enhance a wine's sweetness by:

Stopping fermentation early so residual sugar is higher
Fortifying the wine with neutral spirits such as brandy
Using grapes with very high amounts of sugar and concentrated juices
Adding sugar to the wine

A sweet wine has a residual sugar of more 45 g/L or higher.

Types of Sweet Red Wine

With its growing popularity, consumers have their choice of several types of sweet red wine.

Fruit Wine

Wine made from fruit like strawberries or blueberries contain light, sweet flavors. There are many flavors of fruit wine to try, including:

Types of Fruity Red Wine

Strawberry wine: Some winemakers produce strawberry wines made from 100 percent strawberries, while others mix juice and flavorings with grape wine. Bainbridge Island Winery and Vineyards makes an 8 percent residual sugar wine from the island's fresh strawberries every summer. Try strawberry wine with dark chocolate, or have it by itself as a refreshing dessert in the summer.
Fragolino sparkling wine: This red wine is made from the Fragola grape, which has dominant strawberry flavors. The result is a sweet, frizzante style wine.
Blueberry wine: These dark purple wines are sweet with the flavors of blueberries. Many specialty wineries produce these juicy, sweet wines, including the St. James Winery.

Traditional Sweet Red Wines

The following wines aren't sweet like the fruit wines, but they are sweeter than a typical dry red. They are generally light bodied with forward fruit flavors.

Lambrusco: This Italian wine, best served chilled, has fresh picked blackberry and plum flavors. Try it with your next barbecue.
Beaujolais: French and fruity, the Beaujolais appellation releases Beaujolais Nouveau the third Thursday of November. This wine does not age, so drink it within a few months of purchasing.

Port Wine

Port is a fortified wine made from red wine grapes. It makes a perfect after dinner drink. Here are the basic types of port:

Ruby: These are the youngest of the ports. Winemakers don't age these wines for long, so they remain bright garnet in color with fruity, sweet flavors.
Tawny: Tawny Ports spend more time aging in oak casks, so they wind up with toasty, toffee-like flavors and a dark, amber color.
Vintage: Vintage Ports are only made in very good years. While not as sweet as Ruby or Tawny Port, they are richer with flavors of caramel.

Dessert Reds

Many winemakers have started making sweet reds in the same manner they make popular sweet white wines. You can find an array of dessert reds made from late harvest grapes, and a few winemakers even make red Eisweins. These wines are only released occasionally, so if you notice your favorite winery has created one, give it a try. One to try is the 2009 Bouquet Red Dessert Wine.

Finding Sweet Red Wines

Sweetness, like everything else in the world of wine, is subjective. Next time you are shopping for a sweet red, keep the following in mind:

Aim for fruity. Find fruit forward wines with low alcohol.
Select young wines. Young wines are lighter, fruitier and therefore sweeter than aged wines.
Try a dessert wine. Many winemakers are now offering dessert reds. Take a chance on one, and see if you like it.

When in doubt, visit your local wine shop or ask a restaurant sommelier for recommendations. These wine professionals will be more than happy to steer you in the direction of a terrific sweet red.

Simply Sweet Vino

Choosing a sweet red wine is a wonderful way to introduce oneself to red wines. From traditional Lambruscos to delicious dessert wines, there are plenty of palate pleasing red wine options for everyone.