The holiday season is upon us and there is no better time to enjoy the sweeter side of wine. Whether you’re a seasoned connoisseur or a curious newcomer, there’s a world of sugary sips waiting to be explored. 

 There are many types of sweet wines ranging from lightly sweet to richer, very sweet styles. The wine may be sparkling, white, red, or fortified. 

 Sweet wines are made from very sweet grapes and fermentation is stopped before all the sugar is converted into alcohol. This leads to higher residual sugar in the wine. 

 Also, higher acidity changes sweetness perception so a wine may taste slightly sweet to luscious, depending on the sugar and acid structure.  

Sweet Champagne 

 While most Champagne is dry, there is a sweeter side to bubbly. The following will help consumers deduce how sweet these French sparklers may be. 

 Those labeled Doux are the sweetest versions with over 50 grams of sugar per liter. These same sweetness designations are often used by New World producers as well. 

 Demi-Sec means off-dry in French, so it has discernable sweetness with 32-50 grams of sugar per liter. 

 For sweetness comparison, regular Coca-Cola has about 108 grams of sugar per liter so the sweet wines have far less sugar than the soda you may have grown up on. 

 Italian favorites, like Moscato d’Asti and fully sparkling Asti Spumante, are more budget-friendly options. Look for Semi-secco for off-dry or Dolce for the sweetest on these labels. 

 High-sugar sparklers pair well with a variety of dishes like salty and fried snack food, spicier cuisines like Indian, an array of cheese, fruit tarts, or as a dessert on its own at the end of a meal. 

 More American sweet sparklers are being produced like the Gruet Demi Sec Methode Champenoise Blend from New Mexico. Made from the classic Champagne grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this wine shows fresh pear, honeysuckle, and a sweet tropical note in the finish. Enjoy it with fried chicken and apple pie.

 Sweet Wines 

 Lightly sweet white wine can be surprisingly refreshing on warm days which Galvestonians may be fortunate to see throughout the fall and winter months. These wines are often best consumed young, with some exceptions. 

 Wines made from aromatic Alsatian Gewurztraminer, particularly the Grand Cru Selections de Grains Nobles and high-acid German Mosel Rieslings, fall into this category. 

 Reuscher Piesporter Goldtropfchen Auslese Riesling hits the middle category of sweetness and works well with foie gras, crab dishes, spicy Thai curry, blue cheese, and fruit-based desserts. Sweeter German Rieslings are labeled with Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. 

 Richly sweet wines can age extremely well due to their high acidity and sugar which helps preserve the fruit flavors. The most highly regarded in the world are French Sauternes, Hungarian Tokaji and South African Constantia. 

 Richly sweet wines may be made from late-harvested grapes which are riper, resulting in concentrated sweet flavors, and may also be made from grapes with Botrytis cinerea known as Noble Rot. 

 “Vendage Tardive” may be seen on French labels made from late-harvested grapes such as Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon. 

 Hungarian Tokaji is made from Furmint grapes and measures sweetness in “puttonyos,” ranging from three to six; the higher the number, the sweeter the wine. However, there is a sweeter, special version called Tokaji Aszu Eszencia. 

 While Sauternes may be the highest-regarded French sweet wine, budget-friendly sweet versions are also made in the neighboring Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux region. 

 Consider trying a luscious wine fit for the Czars, Disznoko 5 Puttonyos Tokaji. Traditionally, this style of wine is often served as a starter with foie gras or raw oysters. It also works well with roasted poultry, stronger cheeses like Roquefort or Epoisses, or in a baked pear dessert. 

 The popularity of sweet red wine has been on the decline but there are some fun ones to try, especially from Italy. Bubbly Lambrusco is refreshing and typically made in a semi-sweet style, although more and more dry renditions have hit the shelves in recent years. Look for Amabile or Dulce styles for the sweeter taste that is ideal with salty charcuterie spreads and pizza. Brachetto d’Acqui from Piemonte is also excellent with cured meats and cheese and raspberry desserts. 

Fortified Wines 

 Fortified wines are the big, bad boys of the sweet wine world and the big three are from the Iberian countries. From Spain, Sherry and from Portugal, both Madeira and Port wines. 

 Fortified wines have had the fermentation stopped which kills the yeast and raises alcohol levels. 

 Knowing sweet from dry for Sherry comes down to knowing two letters - PX. Pedro Ximenez (PX) is a very sweet sherry with dried fruit and brown sugar notes. Rich enough to be a dessert itself, some people drizzle it on ice cream or sip it with sweet and salty snacks like chocolate-covered nuts or contrast it with blue cheese. 

 Madeira has a long shelf life so it is a particularly desirable fortified wine to have. The sweetest style of Malvasia, also called Malmsey, has a dried fig and toasted nut character. This is another wine that can be served as dessert on its own but stands up to tiramisu and caramelized desserts. 

 In regards to Port, classic pairings include dark chocolate with raspberry or cherry. The caramelized flavors in pecan pie or creme brulee do well with this tawny style. The historic nature of these fortified wines means there are generations of know-how and many layers of quality control. 

 With the popularity of shared food boards these days, these wines make an easy dessert setup for holiday parties. Portions of dessert wines should be smaller, with a suggested serving size of two ounces. 

 Keep in mind, that many of these wines have elevated alcohol. Smaller glasses and a chilled bottle or two set out with an array of salty snacks, strong blue cheese, nuts, dried fruit, berries, cupcakes, or cookies, round out any celebration with a sweet ending. 

 This fall enjoy the decadent and delicious honeyed flavors that the sweet wines of the world offer. Many of these old-world styles have new-world renditions that capture tastes and traditions using different techniques and grapes. 

 Try serving it with traditional and modern pairings and enjoy the sweet life this season.