9 Popular Semi Sweet Red Wine Styles (Best Bottles to Buy, Prices (2024)

If syrupy sweet or super dry reds don’t sway you, there is a crimson tipple that will suit your fancy - the irresistible semi sweet red wine.

Any off-dry vintage with some sweetness qualifies as a sweet wine, and a red with 3-5% (30-50 grams of sugar) is a semi sweet wine. Added to that, is a pleasant fruity palate, which makes semi sweet reds a favorite among wine lovers!  

Let’s explore this unique style of medium sweet wines, the 10 exceptional bottles to buy in 2022, and the best foods to pair with them. We’ll also look at a few other sweet red wine styles.

9 Most Popular Semi Sweet Red Wine Styles

The sweetness in red wine depends on:    

• The grape’s natural sugar content
• The wine’s residual sugar (sugar left after fermentation of the grape juice)

Here are some of the prominent wine grapes that produce semi sweet wine styles:

1. Lambrusco

Lambrusco hails from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. It produces a lightly sparkling fruity red wine with delicious red berry flavors and delicate freshness. This Italian red is food-friendly wine with just the right amount of sweetness.

2. Zinfandel

Zinfandel is a grape native to Croatia, used in the production of fruit-dominant wines worldwide.  

Zinfandel grapes harvested before they ripen fully are used to produce dry wines. The late harvest, ripe grapes are used in the making of sweet wines.

3. Garnacha (Grenache)

Grenache is popularly called the workhorse grape and is grown throughout the world. The long ripening season increases the sugar content in the grape. Grenache produces a fruity semi sweet table wine style and a fully sweet dessert wine style (depending on its harvest time.) 

4. Malbec

Malbec is a fruity wine  produced mainly in France and Argentina and has medium tannins and a high ABV (15%.) It is usually blended with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir to produce lighter dry wine styles. But its single varietal wines offer dark berry and black fruit notes with medium sweetness.

5. Shiraz

Shiraz is a dark red wine with moderate acidity, firm tannins, and a lush syrupy flavor profile. It has high alcohol content and a broad fruity palate that beautifully complements any hearty meal. 

6. Red Moscato

Red Moscato is a semi sweet red wine made with Black Muscat grapes. It’s a slightly sparkling wine with red berry and violet flavors.

7. Brachetto d'acqui

This Italian sweet red is best known for its floral bouquet and candied fruit notes.

8. Tempranillo

Tempranillo is a grape used in the making of semi sweet and dry red wine styles. The sweet Tempranillo wines are full-bodied and balanced with medium tannins and a delightful fruity palate. 

9. Beaujolais Nouveau

BeaujolaisNouveau is a sweet wine made from Gamay grapes with low tannins and is often called the ‘Shirley Temple’ of wine.

10 Exceptional Semi Sweet Red Wine Bottles To Buy Now

Here are our top semi sweet red wine picks for 2022:

1. 2017 Powell & Son Kraehe Marananga Shiraz ($509)

This medium sweet red wine has a cherry, plum, and licorice aroma offset by an intense black fruit, mocha, and dark chocolate taste. It is full-bodied with silky tannins, crisp acidity, and a long finish.

2. 2015 Devil Proof Malbec ($224)

Here’s a dark red semi sweet wine with irresistible red berry and spice aromas in a magnificent black currant, herb, and dried fruit palate.

3. 2019 Martinelli Jackass Vineyard Zinfandel ($118)

This Zinfandel red has tolerable sweetness with a wild berry preserve, chocolate, and spice bouquet. The firm tannins and balanced acidity underscore the alluring jam, dark cherry, and raspberry taste.

4. 2006 Lini 910 In Correggio Rosso Metodo Classico Millesimato ($40)

Here’s a pleasant red wine with tantalizing rhubarb, strawberry, croissant aroma hints and a delicious red currant, and blueberry taste. Its tannin mouthfeel and long finish make this wine standout among other semi sweet options.

5. 2018 Telavi Wine Cellar Marani Khvanchkara ($23)

This sweet red has dominant prune and red berry aromas in a sumptuous palate of dark chocolate, vanilla, and black cherry notes.

6. 2013 Markovic Estates Select Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot Semi Sweet ($17)

Here’s a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot red blend with oak and nut aromas. The wine’s firm tannins are balanced by a beautiful blackberry, red currant, and cranberry flavor.

7. 2010 Dolce della Rosa Semi Sweet Red ($12)

This sweet, velvety, fruity wine offers intense red fruit preserve aromas and an exquisite wild berry, prune, and blueberry taste.

8. 2019 Markovic Estates Select Shiraz - Grenache Semi Sweet ($12)

Here we have a Shiraz and Grenache blend with vanilla, chocolate, and raspberry bouquet enhanced by an outstanding black fruit and spice palate.

9. Alfasi Select Mistico Cabernet Sauvignon ($11)

This sweet Cabernet Sauvignon is packed with a blackberry, black cherry, plum flavor and an addictive red fruit, cedar, and oak aroma. 

10. Castillo del Conde Semi-Sweet Tinto ($4)

Here, a flavorful semi-sweet red presents a beautiful fruity nose with intense black fruit, strawberry, and vanilla tasting notes. It also has balanced acidity, a long finish, and soft tannins.

Best Food Pairings for Semi Sweet Red Wines

Semi sweet red wines can be paired with a variety of foods, for example: 

• Zinfandel: A semi sweet Zinfandel works well with barbecued meats, turkey, vegetable tart, and red pasta.
• Lambrusco: Lambrusco is a great accompaniment to pizza, cured meats, pork, and cheese. 
• Grenache: It is a versatile semi sweet drink that pairs well with roast chicken, pork, beef, spicy food, and smoked salmon.
• Red Moscato: This one is a flavorful dessert wine that complements chocolate souffle, tiramisu, and other sweet dishes.

Other Sweet Red Wine Styles 

If you’re in for even sweeter wine styles, you can try Dornfelder, Schiava, and fortified winestyles like Sherry, Port, and Madeira (these wines have a bit higher sweetness level with 50-70 grams of sugar per liter.) 

Or you can explore some sweet dessert wine styles like Freisa and Cabernet Franc Ice wine (their residual sugar content is in the range of 70-90 grams per liter.)

Semi Sweet Red Wine: The Perfect Celebratory Drink!

Semi sweet red wine is the wholesome choice if you wish to take a middle-path between highly savory, dry red wine and cloyingly sweet, dessert red. Stock a bottle of this medium sweet drink and mesmerize guests at your next dinner party.

But if you wish to build a portfolio of investment-grade red, white, or sparkling wines, go to the Vinovest website. The AI-based platform provides you with the easiest way to buy, store, and sell authentic fine wines from around the world.

It allows you to sell your wine at any time. However, it’s best to sell your fine wine when it reaches its peak value (after 5-20 years.) 

Our advisors will guide you on the best liquidity options and the best time to sell your wine. They’ll also help you navigate all sorts of market conditions and maximize your returns.