The 10 Best Dessert Wines

While dessert might be the last course, it shouldn’t be forgotten when it comes to beverage pairings. Luckily, there’s a whole category of wines that can become the perfect endnote to a meal. (You can always save the espresso for after.)

Dessert wines are not one specific style, and there’s a bit of a misunderstanding that all it means is “sweet wine.” Meanwhile, as dry wines have surged in popularity, their sweeter cousins have been slightly neglected. But these bottles range in flavors and regional expressions and have just as much sophistication as any other wine.

“Dessert wines are sometimes treated just as sweet wines, all sugar,” says Roger Voss, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews bottles from Spain, Portugal and France. “But a true dessert wine has so many more nuances, from the acidity in a Jurançon or Loire sweet wine to the Botrytis, or noble rot, that is the secret behind a great Sauternes.”

These wines can be slightly sparkling, like a Moscato; made from red or white varietals; fortified, like a Port or Sherry, or have very high sugar content, like a Hungarian Tokaji. And just like you’d reach for a Cab or a Pinot depending on the experience you’d like, the same is true for dessert wines.

“Diving into dessert wines lets you savor a complex symphony of flavors,” says Aleks Zecevic, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews offerings from Austria, Germany and France. “While you might not guzzle down a whole bottle, just one sip is like taking a detour on a flavor adventure.”

Additionally, while these wines are often served with sweets, they can also pair well with savory courses. “Try these great wines with a fine paté—yes, dessert wines match savory dishes as well as fruit or fresher desserts,” Voss says. “I’ve also found these wines are great partners with rich meat dishes and, of course, blue cheeses.”

Below, we’ve rounded up 18 of our favorite bottles based on our favorite styles of dessert wines.

Made in northeastern Hungary, these lusciously sweet wines are made from just six types of grapes, many of which are susceptible to Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot, a fungus that amplifies the fruit’s sweetness.

“Dessert wines, especially from Tokaj, display depth and range of flavors that offer a sophisticated experience that’s all too frequently overlooked,” Zecevic says. “Think of their production as the winemaking equivalent of forging gold—an art form that is as meticulous as it’s rewarding. In fact, connoisseurs often dub them ‘liquid gold.’”

Royal Tokaji 2016 Essencia Furmint (Tokaj)

Luxurious enough to be poured onto a spoon rather than in a glass—and Royal Tokaji had crystal sipping spoons designed for this very purpose—Essencia is a marvel no matter how you serve or sip it. Ripe and stewed figs headline the aromas, with notes of clementine, white peach and lemon verbena. The palate is structured with rich fruit and tart acidity, while the finish is citric and mind-bendingly long. 99 points. — Emily Saladino

$1,199.98
Grandview Wine Merchants

Vega Sicilia 2016 Oremus Aszú 5 Puttonyos White (Tokaj)

Pineapple and honey aromas jump out of the glass and are joined by softer notes of dried apricot and orange blossom. This medium amber colored wine offers flavors of orange marmalade, apricot tart, honeycomb, rose petal, nutmeg and almond paste. Gorgeously textured, it has vibrant acidity that is well matched to its high level of sweetness. Drink–2043. 96 points. Cellar Selection. — Mike DeSimone

$124.99
Wine.com

Made in a subregion of Bordeaux, these wines also get super concentrated flavors and sweetness from Botrytis. The flavors typically include honey, butterscotch, coconut and tropical fruits.

The expressions of Port, a fortified wine made in Portugal’s Douro Valley, can vary in sweetness and robustness. Reach for a Tawny Port to pair with dessert or try a Vintage Port on its own at the end of a meal, Voss advises.

Quinta do Noval 2021 Nacional Vintage Port (Port)

This is the latest release of Noval’s legendary Port. It comes from a small parcel, almost like a kitchen garden, of rare ungrafted vines (planted on their own rootstock). The intensity and richness of the wine proclaim its pedigree and enormous potential. The black fruits and ripe tannins are laced with spirit and ripe sweetness. Acidity and perfumes also play their part, giving a wine that is almost immortal. Drink at the earliest from 2032. 99 points. Cellar Selection. — R.V.

$1,349.99
Wine.com

Quinta do Noval 2021 Vintage Port (Port)

Coming from the landmark Douro terraces of Quinta do Noval, this beautifully perfumed and textured Vintage Port is certainly ageworthy. The ripe tannins and blackberry jelly fruits are concentrated and show the quinta’s hallmark medium sweet style of Port. That leaves room for the fine texture and structured young tannins and shows the potential. Drink the wine from 2030. 96 points. — R.V.

$149.99
Wine.com

Late Harvest

Grapes harvested at the end of a season have had plenty of time to yield more sugars and the wines made from them are rich and sweet with nectar-like flavors, which can make for a fantastic conclusion to a meal. Look for late-harvest Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris.

Dolce 2017 Late Harvest White (Napa Valley)

More sweet and candied than the last release, this now-classic wine made from grapes shriveled by noble rot is lavish in honey, candied orange, toasted peanuts, peach syrup and butterscotch flavors. The color is golden amber, mouthfeel is unctuous, texture beyond creamy and yet backed by a touch of apricot brightness. Time is its friend; best from 2025–2040. 95 points. — Jim Gordon

$89.99
Brix 26

As the name suggests, these wines are made with grapes that have frozen on the vine, ideally allowed to freeze and thaw many times throughout the growing season. This separates the sugars from the water in the fruit, concentrating flavor and sweetness.

Made from Muscat grapes, Moscato is much more than the saccharine bubbly that’s often found on grocery store shelves. The best known version, made in Asti in Italy’s Piedmont region, the wine is slightly effervescent.

The Italian “wine of saints” is traditionally served with anise-scented cookies. Typically made from Trebbiano and Malvasia, vin santos vary widely from dry to dessert-like but got a bad reputation over the years as inexpensive, syrupy bottles flooded the market. Now, however, there is a revival of this centuries-old wine that is emphasizing the style’s craft.

Riesling

Made in Mosel, the German region near the border of Belgium and Luxembourg, Rieslings are renowned for their acidity and fruit-forward flavors. While they can range from dry to sweet, look for bottles with high sugar content for dessert. Some of the German names for these sweeter Riesling styles include spätlese, auslese, beerenauslese, trockenbeerenauslese and eiswein.

Joh. Jos. Prüm 2022 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling (Mosel)

This is not so obvious at this stage, but what a beauty! Suave and seamless with beautiful integration of acidity and fruit, texture and mineral, spice and floral notes. So pure and graceful, the apricot, citrus and pineapple flavors melt in the mouth, with its richness offset by vibrant structure. It ends with a tangy, mineral note. A wine you could enjoy now, but this will give much more to those who are patient. Best after 2032. 95 points. — A.Z.

$86.97
Red Neck Wine Company

A fortified wine from the south of Spain, Sherry is made with white grapes, primarily Palomino but also Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel. It ranges from the classic dry Fino style to sweet Cream and Pedro Ximenez bottles. These are great on their own at the end of a meal.

Madeira

Made on a Portuguese island of the same name, Madeira is a fortified wine. Its sweeter variations, like Malvasia, are similar to Port and pair well with chocolate, fruit pastries and creamy desserts.