Sweet wines

The Best of the Rest

Sweet Wines

These are some of my favourite under-the-radar wines – they're often brilliant value and the flavours on offer are extraordinary.

One of the most famous sweet wines in the world is Sauterne from Bordeaux. The vineyards are very near to the river, and in the autumn, the mists roll into the valley and create an amazing microclimate. Owing to the damp conditions, the grapes will be affected by noble rot, which is a fungus that sits on the skins of the grapes. This leads to increased water evaporation, which helps to concentrate the remaining liquid for a richer and sweeter flavour.

Sweet wines are very versatile when served chilled, and work really well with pâté, cold meats and Stilton cheese.

Tesco Finest Dessert Semillon, £6.25

• One of the grapes behind Sauterne is the Sémillon grape, which is also grown in the Riverina region of Australia. While these grapes aren't affected by noble rot, they are still left on the vine for longer to concentrate the flavour.
• This wine has a honeyed character, with flavours of orange and lemon, yet there's still a delicious level of freshness and acidity which balances the sweetness beautifully.

How to Spot Sweet Wines

Sweet wines can be made anywhere in the world, and if you're on the hunt for good ones to try, look out for ones that are 'late harvest' or 'late picked' – this tells you that the grapes have been left on the vine for longer to concentrate the natural sugars.

Grapes that really suit sweet wine are Sémillon, Chenin Blanc and Muscat.

Ice wine is another type of sweet wine to try. The grapes are left on the vine for so long that when the cold weather comes along, the grapes are frozen with all the concentrated sugars inside and the result is like liquid gold. You need a particular climate to make these wines; Canada is a great place for ice wine.

The Tokaji region in Hungary is another place to look for sweet wine. These wines are mostly made from the Furmint grape.

Your Assignment

Compare sweet wines made from different grapes, and see whether you can detect any flavour differences. You could try a wine made from Muscat grapes alongside one made from Chenin Blanc. Is one fruitier than the other? Does one have more natural sweetness than the other? You could also try thinking about what food you might pair