Get A Crash Course In Sweet Red Wine (And 6 Bottles You'll Love!)

Most red wines are made in a dry style, but their sweet counterparts do exist. These bottles are a little easier for some to sip on because of their higher residual sugar content and lower tannins. (And, psst: They still go great with dark chocolate.) Let's learn a bit more about sweet red wine.

What makes some red wine sweeter than others?

We all know that it takes grapes to make wine, but do you know the science behind this conversion? Put simply, grapes are picked, crushed, then fermented. During the fermentation process, grape sugar is converted to alcohol. Stopping the fermentation early allows more of the grape sugar to remain in the finished product, accomplishing a sweeter wine with less booze content.

But don't confuse fruitiness with sweetness. Certain grapes will definitely come off more fruity than others. For example, Zinfandel displays red, blue, and black fruit on the nose. The warmer the climate in which the grapes are produced, the riper the fruit will be perceived on the palate. However, these wines can still be fruit-bombs and not have enough residual sugar to be considered a sweet wine.

Are there different categories of sweet red wines?

Sweet red wines have range. They can be sparkling, still, or fortified.

Sparkling sweeties include Brachetto d'Acqui and Lambrusco from Italy. Brachetto d'Acqui comes from the Piedmont region and features notes of strawberry candy, cherry jam, and rose. Lambrusco hails from Emilia-Romagna, the same region as Parmigiano-Reggiano. (Hint, hint: This wine and cheese pairing is a match made in heaven—or, er, in Emilia-Romagna.) Lambrusco tastes of ripe blueberry, cherry pie filling, and violets.

When searching for still sweet red wine, seek out Dornfelder or Schiava. Dornfelder is a German variety, primarily grown in the Rheinhessen and Pfalz regions. Just like the German staple wine, Riesling, Dornfelder can come in a range of styles from dry to sweet. Look for "süss" or "süß" on the label for the sweet kind. While Dornfelder smells of blackberries and spiced herbs, Schiava provides notes of cotton candy, rose, and cinnamon. Schiava is native to Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy.

Feeling bold—or just boozy? Try out a fortified sweet wine with a higher alcohol content, around 16-23%. Pour up the Port, a bolstered wine from Douro, Portugal. Port gives off aromas of dark berries, cocoa, and anise that make it an obvious pairing with a chocolate treat.

Now that you're educated, ready to start sipping? We found you six great bottles of sweet red wine to try out: