What Is A Good Sweet Wine To Buy
America has a sweet tooth, but when it comes to wine, we tend to shy away from those with high sugar contents. This makes sense considering the slew of one-note, saccharine-heavy bottles on the market, but this category can be a joy to drink and explore. When made well, sweet wines can be among the most complex and age-worthy wines in the world.
what is a good sweet wine to buy
The key is balance. Residual sugar in wine (the natural sugars remaining post-fermentation) only works if it is offset by good acidity. And this can only occur if the winemaker has the skills to achieve such delicate harmony.
We love good sweet wine at VinePair, so we went ahead and tasted all of them for you and pared them down to the best the category has to offer. What resulted is the following list of multifaceted bottles bound to infuse your palate with joy. From Michigan to Friuli, Spain to Southern California, here are 13 of the best sweet wines to drink in 2023.
From the Russian River Valley, this 100 percent Syrah late-harvest wine is bold and fruity. Its aromas resemble decadent California red blends with a seasoning of black pepper. Chewy tannins add texture to the palate, where pulsing acidity helps counter the bold sweetness. This sweet wine displays the distinctive profile of Syrah and will appeal to port drinkers.
Vin Santo is almost as old as Tuscany itself, and so is this winery. Tenuta Di Capezzana has been making wine since antiquity and shows no signs of stopping. This Vin Santo will take you back in time, with its dense, caramelized palate and butterscotch-heavy nose. The palate is viscous and balanced with a smooth finish.
This wine is so expressive and balanced, it will convert any sweet wine hater. It has a wonderful blush hue and smells like a handful of freshly picked honeysuckles. The palate is balanced and hits all the right spots, inviting you back sip after sip.
Throughout the year, VinePair conducts numerous tastings for our popular Buy This Booze column, and wine and spirits reviews. Our mission is to provide a clear, reliable source of information for drinkers, providing an overview applicable to day-to-day buying and drinking.
In creating this list of the best white wines, we took into account various criteria before making our final decisions. Our goal was to showcase a diverse range of wines in different styles and from different regions, at a range of different prices, to best suit every possible occasion.
There is a rare, red-colored variant of the Moscato grape (aka Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains) that grows in Victoria, Australia. The grapes are harvested late in the season when they become dried and partially brown so that sweetness is more concentrated.
The process of making PX (a sweet Sherry) involves allowing the wine to age in barrels for many years, causing the liquid to become brownish-black in color. Over time the fluid in the wine slowly evaporates (both water and alcohol), which concentrates the sugar level.
An Italian style frizzante (soft sparkling) wine which is naturally sweet and lower in alcohol, with bright aromas of summer strawberry, pomegranate, and wild berries leading to juicy flavors of black raspberry and plum, with a lively mouthfeel and refreshing finish.
Growing up in Wisconsin, wine was always a staple at the dinner table. Laws in Wisconsin are a little different, so a child of any age can drink alcohol as long as they are with their parent or legal guardian. Because my mother had a very refined taste for wines, we often drank from her personal collection at home. When we went out for dinner I could experiment and try wines I was interested in.
Much to my horror, when I arrived at college I found that the standard was cheap wine that tasted cheap. Lamenting my limited budget, I realized that cheap wine was the only option. Luckily, through experimenting with many different brands, I've finally found a quality selection of wines for reasonable prices. Since I live in the middle of nowhere, Target is the go-to place for wine. Their motto of "expect more, pay less" finally held true. So that no other college student has to go through as many low-quality wines as I did, here's a list of the best wine at Target.
Part of Target's $5 wine collection, this wine is certainly one of the cheapest on the list. However, unlike the other $5 red wines that are part of the California Roots line, this Red Blend can actually pass off as a (slightly) more expensive bottle. This wine is definitely high quality for its price.
If you love the sweetness of Moscato but are looking for a red wine, this sweet red wine is the answer. Cleverly labelled "Roscato," this Italian wine is well worth the price. Definitely some of the best wine at Target.
Want a wine as dark as your soul? Regardless of whether you're good or evil, this Stella Rosa Black Red Blend is imported from Italy and bound to impress. Nobody will believe that this wine comes from Target.
Fruity and full-bodied, pinot noir is the perfect middle ground between sweet and dry. Because of this, this wine is a favourite of many. Luckily for us, Cupcake Vineyards sells a Pinot Noir that is reasonably priced and reasonably delicious.
While Riesling that's on the cheaper side is often far too acidic, Charles & Charles riesling is perfectly balanced, which makes for an exquisite wine. It may not be exotic, but it'll certainly hit the spot.
This Pinot Grigio is another wine from Target's $5 dollar wine collection. Surprisingly crisp and fresh, this wine will satisfy without draining your wallet. It also has an alcohol percentage of over 13 percent if you're looking to get lit.
This Chardonnay is a little more on the expensive side, but Chardonnay is so regal that it's certainly worth spending a little more money on. This wine is aged in oak and has hints of butterscotch and green apple. While it was bumped down on the list for its price, this Chardonnay is certainly one of the best wines at Target.
Although it may be the pretty label of this Sauvignon Blanc that catches your eye, the taste of the wine certainly lives up to the look of the bottle. This wine is bright, fruity, and crisp, making it perfect for warm months. It sounds fancy too.
Although this may be biased, the sweet flavour of Moscato D'Asti has always been a favourite of mine. Ruffino's has a delightful flavor while being entirely affordable. The fact that this amazing wine can be bought at Target is only the cherry on top.
Although this may be my personal list of the best wine at Target, everyone has different tastes. Use this list as a guide but take your own favorite flavors into account to ensure that you're truly using every dollar to its best use (for wine).
For those of us who see fine dining as a rare treat rather than a regular occurrence, there's one part of eating out in a fancy restaurant that's more stressful than getting the bill: Ordering wine. Wine lists are usually several pages long and void of helpful descriptors for overpriced bottles.
"Tell them what you like and what you don't like," Coker told INSIDER. "Tell them what price you are looking for. Communicate as much as possible." She also suggests coming prepared with a basic descriptor of what you want, from "light and fruity white wine" to "dark and earthy red wine."
It's simple enough. If you're in an Italian restaurant, order an Italian wine. If you're in a French restaurant, go for a French wine. If your restaurant isn't themed by region, scan the wine list for any familiar labels or regions, says Coker.
"We make it easy [in America] because we put the name of the grape on the bottle," Soltani said. "For example, California Cabernet will be listed on the bottle. Not the case if you order a bottle of wine from France... For example, if you look at a wine list and see Burgundy, that means you are getting a Pinot Noir even though it will not say Pinot Noir on the wine list. You need to know that Burgundy produces Pinot Noir for red wine and Chardonnay for white wine. So, it can be a little tricky [with European wines]."
"Restaurants will likely jack up the price by two to three times the retail price, but the more expensive the wine, the less the mark up," Soltani told INSIDER. "So even if you are on a budget, don't pick the cheapest wine on the list. I would go for the second cheapest. Also, one bottle of wine equals about four glasses. But if you pour tasting pours (two ounces), the wine will go a lot further."
It can be tough to decide whether or not to order a few glasses, or go with a bottle, but glasses are cheaper and less limiting: "You and your date may have totally differing preferences; when this is the case, ordering something by the glass instead of by the bottle is preferable," Schmidt said. "Another bonus with ordering by the glass is being able to have one glass before your meal arrives or with an appetizer, and then have another glass of a different wine that pairs perfectly with the dish you ordered."
Coker warns wine novices to not be tied to a grape varietal, but if you're stuck these are the best "starter" red and white wines: Pinot Grigio or Gris for white ("there's a reason why people love it!"she says) and Grenache for red ("try something fruity and not too taninic").
Generally, bolder wines go best with meat and heavier meals, while lighter-bodied wines go well with fish and lighter pasta dishes. "A nice big Rhône red wine like a GSM [French red wine blend] or a Petite Sirah, even a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon are perfect for prime rib or steak," Schmidt said. "A Pinot Noir or Merlot might be better with a red sauce pasta. A Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc could be best for a fine fish dish."
Finally, leave rich, old wines until the end (but still before dessert wines!). As wines get older, they naturally become more flavorful and complex. Therefore, an older wine is best enjoyed after younger vinos. This will allow you to really savor the layers of flavor without immediately having to move on to the next option.
There are some varietals of white and red wines that you are likely to see at a wine tasting event. Knowing which you can expect and some of their defining characteristics can really help prepare you for the wine tasting. 041b061a72