Sweet wine retains noticeable residual sugar because fermentation was stopped or the grapes were so sugar-rich that yeast could not consume it all. Methods include noble rot (Sauternes, Tokaji), drying grapes (vin santo, recioto), late or frozen harvest (ice wine), and fortification (Port). The finest sweet wines balance sugar with high acidity, making them vibrant rather than cloying and exceptionally long-lived.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR COLLECTORS
Sweet wines are among the most ageworthy and undervalued in the cellar; their sugar and acidity preserve them for decades. A great Sauternes or Tokaji offers extraordinary complexity and longevity for the money.
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