Sweet Red Wines

Sweet Defined

Sweet red wines fall into more than one category: sweet red varietals, sweet speciality wines (sec, demi-sec, off-dry), and dry wines with sweet, fruity flavours.

Sweet Red Varietals

After fermentation, the residual sugars remain high, making the wines sweeter than their dry counterparts. The extra sugar stops fermentation early, which is why the non-fortified sweet reds tend to be lower in alcohol than dry wines.

Port

Port is a sweet wine varietal that comes from Portugal. Because of its sweetness, many people drink it as a dessert wine. There are a few types of Port – including tawny ports and ruby Ports. Ruby Port is a fortified sweet red wine that is rich and thick. Tawny Port has a golden color with raisin and toffee flavors. Port has a higher alcohol content than regular wine and it goes well with rich desserts that contain chocolate.

Try the following Port wines:

• Yalumba Reserve Antique Tawny Port, a dark tawny Port from Australia with rich toffee flavors

• Cockburn’s Fine Ruby NV Portocolate, a fruity Port that is a blend of multiple vintages

• Taylor Fladgate Special Fine Ruby Port, a full-bodied non-vintage Port

Madeira

Madeira wines are fortified Portuguese wines made of a combination of red and white grapes. The red grapes include Bastardo and Tinta Negra, while the rest of the grapes used in the wine are white. While not all Madeira wines are sweet, many people enjoy the sweeter Madeira wines for dessert. Because part of the process of making Madeira involves heating the wine, it winds up a tawny color regardless of whether it’s made with red or white wine grapes. Sweeter Madeira wines will have one of the following words on the label:

• Bual

• Boal

• Malvasia

• Malmsey

• Malvazia

Try the following Madeira wines:

• Paul Masson NV Madeira, an affordable non-vintage American Madeira

• Sandeman Fine Rich Madeira, a traditional dark golden Madeira

• Blandy’s Malmsey 10 Year, a 10-year-old non-vintage traditional Portuguese sweet Madeira

Marsala

This fortified Italian wine is made from both red and white grapes. Rubino is ruby red and made exclusively from red wine grapes. Marsala comes in a range of sweet from dry to very sweet. Sweet Marsala will have one of the following terms on the label:

• Semisecco

• Dolce

• Amabilea

• Some Marsala wines to try include:

• Colombo Marsala Sweet, an inexpensive wine made in Sicily

• Cribari Marsala, which has a citrus taste and flowery scent

• Lombardo Sweet Marsala, another affordable option from Sicily

Specialty Sweet Reds

A number of winemakers are responding to the desire for more sweetness in red wine and have begun specially bottling sweet wines.

Label Terminology

When seeking sweet reds, look for the following words on labels:

• Sweet

• Sec

• Off-dry

• Demi-sec

• Doce

• Dolce

• Late harvest

• Dessert

• Doux

• Dulce

Most wine shop owners are also wine enthusiasts who are happy to recommend wines, so if you’re in doubt don’t hesitate to ask your local proprietor to recommend a sweet red.

Some sweet reds to try include:

• flavors. The wine is available at grocery stores.

• Sweet Blissis a sweet red from Washington State made from Sangiovese and Barbera grapes.

• Liberty Creek Sweet Redis available in many grocery store wine sections. It has lush flavors of cherries and berries.

• Quady Electra Redis an effervescent dessert wine with only five percent alcohol.

• Yellow Tail Sweet Red Roois another sweet red you can find at your local grocery store. It is made from a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other red wine grapes.

• Totally Random Sweet Red Wineis made with an array of red wine varietals. The winemaker has stopped fermentation early, however, to leave residual sugars in the wine.

• House Jam Redis a lightly effervescent, sweet red that is best served cold.

• Oliver Soft Redis an Indiana wine made from Concord grapes.

Chocolate Red Wine

The latest entry into the sweet red market are red wines mixed or infused with chocolate. The result is a sweet, creamy, chocolaty drink reminiscent of Port. These are truly dessert beverages. Some manufacturers mix in other flavors, such as raspberry, as well. Some to try include:

• Chocovine, a creamy combination of cocoa and red wine found in many grocery stores

• ChocolatRouge Sweet Red Wine, combination of dark chocolate and red wine

• Chocolate Shop Wine, specialty wines from a chocolate wine maker that comes in flavors like chocolate strawberry and chocolate mint

Dry Wines with a Sweet Edge

Most dry wines that have a hint of sweetness won’t give you the full-on sweet experience, but many people who don’t enjoy extremely dry reds may like the following wines.

Amarone

This Italian wine from Italy’s Vento region has a slight sweetness. The wine gets its sweet edge because winemakers dry the grapes on straw mats for several months to concentrate sugars, which contributes a bittersweet raisiny flavor. Amarone is also higher in alcohol than some other red wines, with about 14 percent alcohol. While the wine has a sweet edge to it, Amarone is still considered a dry wine, and it pairs quite well with game meats.

Barbera d’Asti

This wine from Italy’s Piedmont region has a slight sweetness. It is also a light, fruity wine, making it a red wine that many find more accessible than heavier reds.

Dolcetto

Another wine from Italy’s Piedmont region, Dolcetto is an accessible, fruity wine that drinks well in its youth. The word “dolcetto” means “little sweetness.” The light red has soft tannins and a wonderful fruit character. Because it is prized for its freshness, Dolcetto does not age well. It’s best drunk within a year.

Dornfelder

This German wine has wonderful acidity to balance it’s slight sweetness. The wine is also low in alcohol and has a fairly light character.

Lambrusco

Lambrusco, which comes from Italy, is similar to a light, fizzy grape juice. While it isn’t as sweet as juice, it is very fruit-forward, which lends it a sweeter flavor than many of its more tannic brethren.

Beaujolais Nouveau

This is a light, fruity wine. Vintners release Beaujolais Nouveau on the same day of every year, which is the third Thursday in November. Beaujolais comes from the Beaujolais region of France and is meant to be drunk young and fresh. Because it is such a fresh wine, vintners bottle and release Beaujolais Nouveau in the same year. Beaujolais Nouveau is made from the ultra-fruity Gamay grape.

Some to Try

If you’d like to try a red with a hint of sweetness, consider trying the following wines:

• Georges Deboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau, the classic Boujoulais Nouveau from one of the region’s well-known producers

• Rinuite Lambrusco, an affordable lightly fizzy red you can find in many grocery stores

• Francesco Boschis Dolcetto di Dogliani Vigna dei Prey, a lush, polished Dolcetto from Italy

• Barbera d´Asti Pomorosso Coppo, a spicy, fruity, full-bodied red

• Huber Dornfelder, a deep purple, lushly scented red

• Vaona Pegrandi Amarone, a slightly sweet red with raisin flavors

Enjoy a Sweet Red

Sweet red wines are a great way to enjoy red wine, without the full tannic flavors of traditional red wines like Cabernets or Bordeaux. If you are looking for something that is easier to drink, this variety of red may be just for you. Sample several varieties until you find the one that pleases your palate.