Sweet Wines

The sweetness of a wine is determined by the presence of residual sugars at the time of bottling. The perception of sweetness in a wine corresponds roughly to a minimum sugar content of 35–40 g/l. From zero up to this value, sugars help create a sensation of body and smoothness, which gradually, as the quantity increases, becomes true sweetness. A sweet wine can be still, passito, sparkling, or fortified.

Sweet wines are generally paired according to the rule of harmony—that is, with desserts. However, there are many distinctions and some exceptions, depending on the type of sweet wine in question. Non-sparkling sweet wines—which are actually almost always slightly sparkling, with varying levels of carbon dioxide—pair well with classic cakes and fruit tarts, preferably with red fruit in the case of red wines. Sweet sparkling wines are ideal with yeast-leavened pastries, such as pandoro and panettone, or desserts made with whipped cream or custard, thanks to the “fat-cutting” effect of the bubbles. Passito wines and botrytized wines, as well as late-harvest wines, pair well with dry pastries (e.g., cantuccini), but in many cases they make a superb pairing with blue-veined cheeses, since their high sugar concentration effectively balances the pungency and aromatic intensity of the cheese. The same applies to sweet fortified wines, which should be paired with very intense and structured desserts and can even hold their own when paired with chocolate.

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