Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The 10 Best Sweet Wines for 2022

Mark Stock
By
A glass filled with wine with plants as background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

When sweet wine is mentioned, what comes to mind is grandma’s favorite Riesling or Manischewitz. And while these choices tend to be technically sweet, they’re just a drop in what a delicious bucket full of sweet white and red wines has to offer. There are, in fact, a plurality of styles and directions to go within the category, united by higher residual sugar content but vastly diverse in terms of taste, fragrance, and build.

We also tend to equate cheap and poorly made with sweet wines — another common mistake. Highly revered and expensive options like Sauternes have earned icon status over the years. Here at The Manual, a sweet wine made it onto our best wines list, with a lot more coming very close to making the cut. You get the point. There are some fantastic sweet wines out there, from complex Port to late-harvest Gewurztraminer made in the ice wine style.

Recommended Videos

The next time you’re after a sweeter wine to accompany a funky cheese or to sip on post-meal, consider these fantastic offerings. You can also check out the best wine subscription box services for more.

Related

Related Reading

Taylor Fladgate 30-Year-Old Tawny Port

Taylor Fladgate 30-Year Tawny Port Bottle on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This outstanding Port from the world-renowned Douro Valley of Portugal is full and nuanced. It’s also silky-smooth and fun to check in on with each little sip as it blossoms in the glass and flexes the many flavors that come from decades of aging.

Read More: What is Port Wine?

S.A. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese Grosse Lage

A bottle of S.A. Prum Riesling on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Quite a lot of Riesling is actually bone dry and zippy. This one is more stereotypical in that it’s quite sweet, but has all the complexity of a lauded Chianti Classico or Burgundy. The coveted 2017 vintage is no longer available but others are and are just about as tasty.

Château Climens Barsac

A bottle of Chateau Climens Sauternes on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A magical Sauterne, this wine possesses a feathery weight while packing tons of flavor and detail. Notes of marmalade, nectarine, honey, and vanilla greet the palate and while a number of vintages are great now, this style of sweet wine can age for a long, long time and improve even more en route.

Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Ice Wine

A bottle of Inniskillin Cab Franc Ice Wine on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This Canadian wine is one of relatively few made in the traditional ice wine style. Picking a bit later, after a freeze, locks in higher sugar levels prior to fermentation and the result here is an incredibly pretty wine with notes of cherry, wild raspberry, and strawberry taffy.

Read More: What is Ice Wine?

Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos

A bottle of Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Wine on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This remarkable dessert wine from Hungary shows honey, peaches, and spice. The sweetness is offset elegantly by some firm acidity and the overall mouthfeel is engrossing and unmatched.

Felsina Vin Santo del Chianti Clasico

A bottle of Felsina Vin Santo on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This delightful half-bottle (or split, as the industry likes to call the format) is the perfect companion to some biscotti or gelato for a complete dessert. It’s complex and presents a beautiful hue, with nutty richness balanced out by some sherry-like brine and dried fruit components.

Tenuta Sant’Antonio “Nanfrè” Valpolicella

A bottle of Tenuta Sant’Antonio "Nanfrè" Valpolicella on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A heralded Italian king at least in Europe, Valpolicella doesn’t have nearly the following here in the states. But it should, as it’s not overly sweet and typically balanced out with some nice fruit and even savory components. This one is luminously bright, showing ripe red fruit and a little earth.

Gonzalez Byass Nectar P.X. Sherry

A bottle shot of Gonzalez Byass Pedro Ximenez Sherry on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Pedro Ximenez sherry is one of the sweetest wines on the planet, a rich and fulfilling option ideal for capping supper. This decadent wine shows raisin, candied dates, malt, and toasted almond flavors.

Read More: Beginners’ Guide to Sherry Wine

Marchesi di Gresy La Serra Moscato d’Asti

A bottle of Marchesi di Gresy La Serra Moscato d'Asti on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

One of the more famous sweet wine styles, Moscato d’Asti flutters with flavor while being light on the palate. They tend to be low in alcohol (this one is just 5% ABV) and softly effervescent. This stellar option spills over with floral aromatics and juicy fruit and honeycomb elements.

Far Niente Dolce

A bottle of Far Niente Dolce Dessert Wine on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Known for excellent Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Far Niente also makes a mean sweet wine in the Dolce. Made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, it offers fig and orchard fruit flavors with a fair amount of sweetness accented by some grassier notes.

Read More: Best Cabernet Sauvignon

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
The 10 best cheap beers money can buy in 2023
These are the best beers for your buck
best cheap beer beers 2021

A popular, well-crafted wine is fine and liquor may be quicker, but sometimes only a beer will do. But the beer aisle can be a scary place. With hundreds of microbreweries and dozens of styles vying for space, the beer run has become a daunting errand full of acronymic complexities like ABVs and IBUs. And while we can all agree that great beer is delicious, it can also be expensive, and certain sacred occasions (such as game day) demand quantity and dependability over discovering the best new brew on the market.

This is why economically minded beer isn't going anywhere. In a world of hop-snobbery, macro brews offer a sudsy solution you don't have to think too hard about. Brewed by big, old companies with enormous marketing budgets, these well-known beer selections are thrifty and ubiquitous -- with reliably low cost, alcohol, and flavor. Refreshing for both your palate and your wallet, they're not pretending to be anything other than what they are: good, cheap beer.

Read more
10 incredible whiskey decanters (they’re not just for wine)
The best whiskey decanters you can get

Right up there with a Champagne saber or a pair of crystal glasses, a decanter is an elegant tool for the drinks enthusiast. We typically associate them with wine (and for good reason, as they can aerate and open up a tight bottle of red) but they're great for spirits too. In fact, a good whiskey decanter is a host's dream, offering a beautiful way to present and pour your favorite bottle.

You've seen them before, set atop bar carts in old black-and-white movies or on the set of Mad Men. They're a stunning way to dress up your bourbon, rye, or Scotch, and can even make a cheap-to-average bottle seem much more classy. On top of that, they really allow you to enjoy the color and viscosity of whatever it is you're pouring.

Read more
Someone ranked the California wine counties — here are the top 10
It's not hard to find good wine on the California coast
napa valley

California, among many things, is known for its incredible wine. Throughout most of the enormous state, vineyards and wineries can be found in abundance, offering not only impeccable wine, but gorgeous scenery, centuries of culture to absorb, and someone at every turn eagerly waiting to share their wine expertise. It's like Disneyland for the wine aficionado.

It's easy to become easily overwhelmed, though, with such a vast selection throughout the state. If you only have time for a weekend getaway, for example, where do you turn? Napa and the rest of the Bay Area's bountiful harvest, or do you head south toward sunny San Diego and her many offerings? The truth is, no matter in which direction you turn up or down the coast, chances are you're not far from a gem of a winery or two. But if you're looking for the best of the best, we found a thoroughly researched and thoughtful list of California wine regions and their rankings.

Read more