Sweet Red Wine Grapes and Varieties
Key Takeaway: Sweet red wines get their sweetness from winemaking techniques rather than grape variety alone, with grapes like Corvina, Brachetto, Lambrusco, and Zinfandel offering distinct flavors and styles. From light, fruity, and refreshing to rich and intensely sweet, there’s a sweet red wine to suit every palate and occasion. |
Sweet red wines come from a wide range of grape types, regions and winemaking styles. While grape varieties do not, in themselves, determine whether a wine will be dry or sweet, they play an important role in shaping its style, flavors and aromas.
Certain varieties also have specific characteristics that make them particularly well suitable for producing sweet red wines. Let’s explore some of the most commonly used varieties to make the best sweet red wines.
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What makes a grape suited to produce sweet wine
Sweetness comes from residual sugar, which winemakers achieve by either stopping the fermentation process or concentrating the sugar within the grapes before fermentation (drying post-harvest, late harvest). Some varieties are better suited to these methods, and they share the same characteristics: thick skins to withstand the drying process, high natural acidity to help the wine taste fresh, and expressive fruit aromas.
Let’s explore some of these grape varieties.
Corvina
Corvina is grown almost exclusively in the Veneto region of Italy, and is well known for being used to make one of Italy’s most sought-after dry wines, Amarone della Valpolicella.
But with its thick skin, it is also well suited to drying, through a specific process called Appassimento. Freshly harvested grapes are laid out on wooden racks in a well-ventilated and dry room for 3 to 5 months. During this time, they lose up to 40% of their water weight, shrinking into raisin-like berries. Once sufficiently concentrated, the grapes are crushed and fermented.
By halting fermentation early to retain residual sugar in the wine, winemakers produce a rich, sweet dessert red wine called Recioto della Valpolicella.
Brachetto
Grown in the Piedmont region in the north of Italy, Brachetto is closely associated with sweet red wines. The resulting wine, Brachetto d’Acqui, is lightly sparkling, relatively low in alcohol (usually between 5% and 7% ABV), and noticeably sweet. It is known for its candied strawberry and floral aromas.
It is best served chilled and pairs perfectly with chocolate desserts, such as a mousse, or a berry tart.
Lambrusco Grapes
Lambrusco is not a single grape variety but rather a family of varieties grown in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.
Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Grasparossa and Lambrusco Salamino are used to make wines in a wide variety of styles ranging from dry to sweet. These wines are usually lightly sparkling.
Sweet examples have notes of strawberries, cherries, plums and blackberries. With their refreshing acidity and relatively low alcohol content, they are particularly enjoyable in summer, when served chilled.
Zinfandel
Although it is commonly known for its dry, full-bodied red wines from California, Zinfandel is also used to produce late-harvest sweet wines. As the name suggests, the grapes are left on the vines well beyond the normal harvest time to develop higher sugar concentration and more intense flavors. Expect a rich, sweet wine, with high level of alcohol content (around 14% ABV) and flavors of fig, raisin, dark chocolate and spice.
Serve it slightly chilled to soften the high level of alcohol. It pairs very well with dark chocolate, berry-based desserts, and even strong cheeses.
How to choose a sweet red wine
If you are new to sweet red wines, aromatic and lighter styles such as Brachetto d’Acqui or Lambrusco are a good place to start. They are fresh, approachable, fruity and easy to drink, especially when served chilled.
If you prefer richer and more intense wines, Recioto della Valpolicella or late harvest Zinfandel offer a very different style to explore with your dessert or as an after-dinner wine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best grape for sweet red wine?
There is no single best grape for sweet red wines. Thick skins, high acidity and expressive fruit aromas are characteristics that can make a grape variety suitable for producing sweet red wine. The choice of variety will also be influenced by the style of wine being made.
Are sweet red wines made from sweet grapes?
No. A grape variety does not, in itself, determine the sweetness of the finished wine. Sweetness is primarily determined by the winemaking process and the amount of residual sugar left in the wine.
How is sweet wine made?
Winemakers can stop fermentation early, before all the sugar has been converted into alcohol, and also concentrate the sugar in the grapes before fermentation, by drying the grapes or delaying the harvest.
Is Lambrusco always sweet?
Not always. Lambrusco refers to a family of grape varieties used to produce wines ranging from dry to sweet. Sweet examples are often lightly sparkling.
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