10 Best Sweet Red Wine Bottles to Sip in 2024 (Flavors, Styles, Winemaking)

Sweet red wine makes a great introduction to red wine, especially for a beginner or white wine drinker - thanks to its lower tannin and higher sugar content.

There’s an incredible variety of sweet red wines that will appeal to every palate - from Port wine to the sweet, refreshing Australian Shiraz!

Let’s explore the 10 best bottles to buy in 2024, how to invest in the finest ones through Vinovest, different sweet red wine styles, and how they are made.

A Quick Intro to Sweet Red Wine

While people often confuse a red wine's fruity flavor with it being sweet, a true mark of sweet red wine is its residual sugar.

Sweet red wine is a red wine containing more than 30g residual sugar per liter.

Let’s look at wine’s sweetness levels to help you better understand how sweet your wine is.

• Sec (Dry): A dry wine with very little residual sugar
• Off-dry: Has residual sugar levels in the 0.6% to 1.4% range
• Demi-sec (Half dry): Medium-sweet wines with medium to high acidity, like Zinfandel
• Late Harvest: Made from grapes that are harvested later than usual (overripe grapes have concentrated and sweeter juice)
• Dessert: Sweet dessert wines with around 5-15% residual sugar 
• Doux: Sweetest of Champagnes or sparkling wines, with over 50g of residual sugar per liter

Apart from sweetness, sweet red wines are also distinguished by lower alcohol content. 

If a bottle of wine has low alcohol content, there’s a great chance it’s a sweet one. But there are exceptions - a German Riesling can have up to 12% alcohol and still be exceptionally sweet.

Also, sweet red wines, unlike their dry counterparts, don’t have the full tannic flavors of traditional red wines like Cabernet Franc or Merlot.

Here are the sweetness levels of some of the most-favored reds:

Sweetness Levels:

• Very Sweet (Examples: Tawny Port, Ruby Port, Vin Santo Rosso)
• Sweet (Examples: Lambrusco, Rosso Dolce, Brachetto D'acqui, Beaujolais Nouveau)
• Medium Sweet: (Examples: Zinfandel, Garnacha, Malbec, Australian Shiraz)
• Dry (Examples: Merlot, French Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese)
• Extra Dry (Examples: Chianti, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Tannat)

10 Best Sweet Red Wines to Buy in 2024 (Including Tasting Notes, Prices)

Here’s a list of hand-picked sweet red wines for your collection:

• 1812 J. S. Terrantez, Madeira
• W & J Graham's 'Ne Oublie' Tawny Port
• Taylor Fladgate Limited Editions 1896 Single Harvest Port
• 1997 Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG
• 1993 Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo di Montepulciano
• 2013 Keo St.John Commandaria
• 2019 Contero Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG
• 2017 Pillitteri Estates Winery Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine
• 2006 Burra Creek Wines Princess Royal Station Late Harvest Shiraz
• 2006 Lini 910 In Correggio Rosso Metodo Classico Millesimato

1. 1812 J. S. Terrantez, Madeira, Portugal ($8,398)

This rare fortified wine bottle opens to floral and balsamic aromas followed by dried fruit, dried apricot, and clove flavors.

2. W & J Graham's 'Ne Oublie' Tawny Port, Portugal ($7,656)

A truly unforgettable sweet red wine, ‘Ne Oublie’ seduces you with its nut, dried apricot, and chocolate aroma. The palate of this Portuguese wine is deep and complex.

3. Taylor Fladgate Limited Editions 1896 Single Harvest Port, Portugal ($4,478)

This single harvest red wine has excellent density and concentration on the palate. Cedarwood, black pepper, and vanilla scents highlight the nose.

4. 1997 Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, Italy ($702)

This red wine has blackberry, black currant, and bright cherry aromas balanced by soft oaky nuances of leather, tar, and smoke.

5. 1993 Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy ($620)

This wine displays an excellent mineral character with prune and mahogany notes. The palate is full and thick with a long finish.

6. 2013 Keo St.John Commandaria, Cyprus ($42)

This dessert wine has intoxicating aromas of honey, herbs, vanilla, and sweet spices. Dried fruit and plum notes mark the rich palate.

7. 2019 Contero Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG, Piemonte, Italy ($21)

It is a delightfully sweet, sparkling red with a charming bouquet of rose, strawberries, raspberry, and violet. The light palate has hints of bitter almond and a gentle tannic grip on the finish.

8. 2017 Pillitteri Estates Winery Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine, Niagara Peninsula, Canada ($115)

The nose of this Cabernet Sauvignon ice wine packs delicious strawberry, raspberry, citrus, and toasted honey and caramel aromas. The palate is smooth with bright acidity.

9. 2006 Burra Creek Wines Princess Royal Late Harvest Shiraz, Clare Valley, Australia ($39)

Made from overripe Shiraz grapes, this sweet dessert wine has ripe plum and prune notes, complementing its textured tannins and oak notes.

10. 2006 Lini 910 In Correggio Rosso Metodo Classico Millesimato, Emilia-Romagna, Italy ($41)

This red wine opens with underbrush, toasted hazelnut, prune, and herb aromas. The dry palate shows remarkable freshness, blackberry jam, spiced blueberry, and bread crust flavors.

Now, let’s look at why it’s a great idea to add some of these bottles to your investment portfolio!

Investing in Sweet Red Wine

The high residual sugar and balanced acidity of sweet red wines make them perfect for long-term cellaring.  

Fortified sweet red wines like Vintage Port can easily age for about 20-50 years (and some even longer).

Their ability to develop complex flavors with maturity also makes them command high prices at auctions. For example, a 5-gallon ‘demijohn’ of 1846 Old Sercial Madeira - another great bottling - was sold for $39,200 at a 2018 Christie’s auction.

Some exceptional sweet reds also show good price appreciation. 

Take the 1991 Avignonesi Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo di Montepulciano, for example. Its price went from $367 in October 2022 to $460 in July 2023, an increase of 25%.

A reputed online wine investment company like Vinovest can help you select the best bottle for your collection and also safely store it until maturity. 

The platform gives you the freedom to sell your wine at any time. But here’s the thing - fine wine usually peaks in value after 5-20 years. 

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

Now, let’s look at the different styles available, how they’re made, and more.

4 Sweet Red Wine Styles

Sweet red wines are produced across the globe. In Australia, they’re called “stickies” and California produces exotic fortified reds with non-Port influences.

Let's explore the different types of sweet red wines.

1. Sweet Sparkling Red Wine
2. Sweet Still Red Wine
3. Fortified Red Wine
4. Dry Red Wine Styles With A Sweetness

1. Sweet Sparkling Red Wine

If you’re in the mood for a bottle of red bubbly, try these:

• Brachetto: Made in Piedmont, this Italian wine has floral aromatics, bright cherry, strawberry, and berry flavor that goes best with chocolate.
• Moscato: This wine is made from the muscat grape and is known for its sweet peach, honeysuckle, and orange blossom flavors. 
• Shiraz: Sparkling Shiraz is made using the Shiraz grape variety in Australia. It has distinct black pepper and chocolate flavors.

2. Sweet Still Red Wine

Still red wine is a non sparkling wine with no carbon dioxide or bubbles. 

• Dornfelder: Hailing from Rheinhessen and Pfalz, Germany, this rich wine has an intense fruity taste with the sweetness of flowers. 
• Schiava: Schiava is a fruity wine made in the Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy. It can veer slightly to the dry side, but the bold, sweet cherry sauce and cinnamon flavors are delectable on the palate.
• Concord wine: It is a fruity sweet red wine made from the native American Concord grape.

3. Fortified Red Wine

Fortified wine has a higher alcohol level and sugar content than other wines.

• Lambrusco Rosso (Red) & Lambrusco Rosato (Rose): These Italian Lambrusco wines are primarily made from over 60 known variants of the Lambrusco grape. The flavor of Lambrusco ranges from rhubarb to raspberry and even pink grapefruit. 
• Brachetto d’Acqui: The Brachetto d’Acqui is made from the Brachetto grape, native to Piedmont. The aroma of this wine consists of red rose, raspberry, and black cherry. 
• Port: The ever-popular Port Wine comes from the Douro region in Northern Portugal. Black cherry, plums, chocolate, and cinnamon are its dominant notes. 
• Banyuls: Banyuls is a French fortified dessert wine made from old vines in the Roussillon county of France. The primary flavors of this wine are dark chocolate, baked prunes, and mint. 
• Black Muscat: Made from the Black Muscat grape, this sweet red showcases candied apple, strawberry, violet, and cinnamon flavors. 
• Madeira: This dessert wine hails from Portugal’s Madeira island. The wine tastes of burnt caramel, walnut oil, and orange peel.
• Marsala Rubino: The rich Marsala wine is produced in Sicily, Italy. The taste bounces along vanilla, stewed apricot, brown sugar, and tobacco.

4. Dry Red Wine Styles with a Sweetness

The word “dry” may be the antithesis of sweet, but some dry wine falls on the sweeter side of the spectrum as well.

• Amarone: Fermented for over 45 days, a bottle of Amarone displays a complex taste of cherry liqueur, black fig, and traces of green peppercorn.
• Barbera d’Asti: This complex Italian Barbera wine has traces of nutmeg, boysenberry, raspberry, and clove. 
• Dolcetto: Piedmont is the home of the Dolcetto grape, which means “little sweet one.” Dolcetto wine has licorice, blackberry, and almond taste.
• Beaujolais Nouveau: Beaujolais Nouveau is a sweet, light wine made with Gamay Noir grapes. It has mushrooms, smoke, dried fruit, and bubble gum flavor.

How Is Sweet Red Wine Made? (6 Different Methods)

Here are six methods used in the production of sweet red wine.

A. Interrupting the Fermentation

One of the methods used to add sweetness to wine is to interrupt the fermentation by getting rid of the yeast, leaving the wine with residual sugar. 

In some cases (like Port wine with over 17-18% alcohol), the wine is fortified with a spirit like brandy to stop fermentation early. The spirit kills the yeast, leaving behind residual sugar. 

B. Using Naturally Sweet Grapes

Grapes like Moscato, Grenache, and Petit Manseng have naturally high grape sugar content. 

During fermentation, the alcohol content rises, naturally killing the yeasts and stopping the fermentation before all the grape sugar converts to alcohol. This leaves the wine with ample residual sugar, making them sweet and heavy on the palate.

C. Over-ripening the Grapes

Some winemakers leave the grapes on the vine for an extended period, making them concentrated and increasing the sugar content of grape juice. These wines are called “Late Harvest” wines. 

D. Using Botrytized Affected Grapes

A winemaker can also take advantage of the naturally occurring fungus called “noble rot” to produce concentrated grapes. 

Noble rot, or “Botrytis cinerea,” is a grape fungus that readily dehydrates the grape and concentrates the grape juice, producing sweet wines.

E. Freezing the Grapes

This method is commonly used to make ice wine like Inniskillin. 

The grape is frozen while still on the vine so that the sugars in the fruit do not freeze. They’re then pressed while frozen, and the stems and seeds are removed before fermentation.

F. Adding a Sweet Component to the Blend

This technique is common in Germany and relies on adding a sweet component like unfermented grape juice and grape skins to the wine.

Is Sweet Wine the Same Thing as Fruity Wine?

Sweet red wine isn't necessarily the same thing as fruity wine.

The sweetness comes from the residual sugar in the wine and is more reliant on your sense of taste. On the other hand, fruitiness is attributed to your sense of smell.

If a wine is highly tannic, it tends to hide the fruit in a wine, but if it is low in tannin, you’ll notice strong fruity notes, irrespective of its sweetness.

Other FAQs About Serving & Drinking Sweet Red Wine

Here are the answers to a few questions you may have about sweet red wines:1. What’s the Ideal Serving Temperature for Sweet Red Wine?

The serving temperature for sweet reds varies depending on the wine style. Here are the best serving temperatures for a few delicious sweet reds:

• Vintage Port: 66˚F (19˚C)
• Shiraz: 64˚F (18˚C)
• Zinfandel: 59˚F (15˚C)
• Tawny Port: 57˚F (14˚C)
• Lambrusco: 45˚F (7˚C)
• Vin Santo Rosso: 57˚F (14˚C)

2. What Are the Best Food Pairings with Sweet Reds?

You can pair sweet reds like Port and Madeira with decadent desserts like chocolate torte, pudding, cheesecake, and custard tart.

Other sweet red wines go well with a variety of savory dishes, including roast chicken, pork ribs, vegetable tart, and grilled salmon.

3. What’s the Calorie Content in a Glass of Sweet Red Wine?

A glass of sweet red wine may have up to 175 calories, depending on the alcohol content and style.

Add a Delectable, Age-Worthy Sweet Red to Your Cellar!

Sweet red wines would make an incredible new addition to your wine collection - whether you want to enjoy a drink with friends or make a neat profit by storing it for the long term.

The wine experts at Vinovest can ensure you buy the best wine bottles, store it ideally, and even sell it for a profit.

So, sign up with Vinovest now and start building your wine collection right away!