Buy Dessert Wine Online
Dessert wine is a delightful and often underrated category that offers rich, concentrated flavours and luxurious sweetness. Designed to complement the final course of a meal, dessert wines include a wide variety of styles and production methods, from the floral lightness of Moscato to the complexity of late-harvest and fortified wines. Whether you’re serving a rich chocolate tart, cheese plate or fresh fruit, dessert wine adds an indulgent finishing touch to any meal.
Buy Dessert Wine Online
Dessert wine is a delightful and often underrated category that offers rich, concentrated flavours and luxurious sweetness. Designed to complement the final course of a meal, dessert wines include a wide variety of styles and production methods, from the floral lightness of Moscato to the complexity of late-harvest and fortified wines. Whether you’re serving a rich chocolate tart, cheese plate or fresh fruit, dessert wine adds an indulgent finishing touch to any meal.
We curate a premium selection of dessert wines from Australia and across the globe. From luscious Australian botrytised Semillon to traditional European styles like Sauternes and Tokaji, our range covers every sweet occasion.
What is Dessert Wine?
Dessert wine refers to noticeably sweet wines, often enjoyed after a meal. What makes dessert wine different from standard white or red wine is the method used to concentrate the sugar content. This can include late harvesting (allowing grapes to ripen longer), fortification (adding grape spirit to halt fermentation), drying grapes into raisins, or letting a beneficial fungus known as noble rot dehydrate the fruit on the vine.
Not all sweet wines are considered dessert wines, but most dessert wines are made to be sipped and savoured rather than consumed in large quantities. They're also known for their intense aromas and luxurious mouthfeel.
What are the Different Types of Dessert Wines?
There are several popular styles of dessert wine, each with unique characteristics:
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Late Harvest Wines: Grapes are left on the vine longer to develop higher sugar levels. These wines are often rich and honeyed.
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Botrytised Wines: Grapes affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) lose water and concentrate sugars, producing deeply complex wines like Sauternes or Australia’s botrytised Semillon.
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Ice Wine: Made from grapes frozen naturally on the vine, resulting in a super-sweet and crisp wine.
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Fortified Dessert Wines: These include Port, Sherry, and Madeira. A spirit is added during fermentation, retaining sugar and boosting alcohol.
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Straw or Raisin Wines: Grapes are air-dried on mats or racks to concentrate sugars. Italian Vin Santo is a famous example.
What Food Pairs Well with Dessert Wine?
Dessert wines shine when paired with foods that either mirror their sweetness or contrast their intensity:
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Moscato or Late Harvest Riesling: Ideal with light fruit tarts, panna cotta, or lemon cheesecake.
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Botrytised Semillon: Excellent with blue cheese, foie gras, or spiced apple desserts.
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Ice Wine: Pair with fruit sorbets, strong cheeses, or citrus-based sweets.
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Tawny Port: Beautiful alongside chocolate cake, fig pudding, or almond biscotti.
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Vin Santo: Traditional with cantucci (almond biscuits), but also great with tiramisu.
How is Dessert Wine Made?
The method depends on the type:
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Late Harvest: Grapes are left longer on the vine to over-ripen.
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Botrytised: A fungus dehydrates the grape, concentrating sugars.
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Ice Wine: Grapes are harvested and pressed while frozen.
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Fortified: A neutral spirit is added to stop fermentation early.
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Straw Wines: Grapes are dried to shrivel and concentrate sugars before fermentation.
Each process affects not just sweetness, but also mouthfeel, acidity, and longevity.
FAQs About Dessert Wine
What is considered a dessert wine?
Any wine with high residual sugar content, typically served after a meal. This includes late-harvest, botrytised, ice, and fortified styles.
How long does dessert wine last after opening?
Fortified wines like Port or Sherry can last up to a month once opened. Lighter dessert wines, such as Moscato or ice wine, should be consumed within a week and stored refrigerated.
Is dessert wine the same as sweet wine?
All dessert wines are sweet wines, but not all sweet wines are made to pair with dessert. Dessert wines often have more structure and are made for sipping.
Can dessert wine be aged?
Yes. Fortified and botrytised wines can age beautifully, developing richer, nuttier profiles over time.
Explore More
Looking for more ways to explore the world of sweet and fortified wines? Browse our full Fortified Wines selection or dive into our white wine and red wine collections for more inspiration.
