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Dessert wine are a popular drink during the holiday season. Many of us start thinking about what dishes we will prepare, what gifts we will give, and what drinks we will enjoy.For those who appreciate the finer things in life, a well-chosen dessert wine can elevate the holiday experience to new heights. Whether you’re celebrating a festive occasion, finishing off a lavish meal, or simply indulging in a cozy evening by the fire, dessert wines offer the perfect sweet finish.

These wines come in a variety of styles, ranging from rich, syrupy concoctions to lighter, fruit-forward options that pair wonderfully with holiday desserts like pies, cakes, and cookies. In this essay, we’ll take a deep dive into seven of the best dessert wines to buy this holiday season, exploring their unique characteristics, flavors, and the reasons they should be part of your celebrations.

1. Sauternes: A French Classic

Sauternes, a dessert wine hailing from the Bordeaux region of France, is often considered one of the finest dessert wines in the world. This rich, golden-hued wine is made primarily from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle grapes, which are affected by a unique phenomenon known as “noble rot.Botrytis cinerea, the rot, causes the grapes to become dehydrated, which concentrates their sugars and enhances their tastes. The resultant wine has rich honey, apricot, and citrus zest notes and a beautiful mix of sweetness and acidity.

Why It’s Great for the Holidays:

Sauternes is the perfect choice for the holiday season, particularly because it pairs beautifully with a range of desserts. It’s particularly delightful with foie gras, blue cheeses, or fruit-based tarts like lemon meringue or apple pie. Its luxurious sweetness also makes it a fantastic choice to sip on its own after a festive dinner. Moreover, Sauternes can age wonderfully, developing even more nuanced flavors over time, making it a wonderful wine to give as a gift or to stock up on for future holidays.

Best Bottle to Buy:

Château d’Yquem 2016: As one of the most prestigious estates in Sauternes, this bottle is a great option for anyone looking to indulge in a luxurious dessert wine this holiday season.

2. Port: The Rich and Robust Wine

Port, a fortified wine from the Douro Valley in Portugal, is another classic dessert wine that has long been associated with festive occasions. What sets Port apart from other dessert wines is that it’s fortified with a neutral grape spirit during fermentation, which halts the fermentation process and leaves a higher level of natural sugars in the wine.

There are several styles of Port, but for holiday enjoyment, Vintage Port and Tawny Port are the most fitting choices. Vintage Ports are rich and powerful, often requiring several years of aging, while Tawny Ports are aged longer in barrels, imparting nutty and caramelized flavors.

Why It’s Great for the Holidays:

Port is a perfect companion to rich, indulgent holiday desserts, such as chocolate cake, nutty pastries, or cheesecakes. Its deep, robust flavors and warming alcohol content make it an ideal winter wine, perfect for cozying up by the fire or sharing with friends after a hearty holiday meal.

Best Bottle to Buy:

Graham’s 20-Year-Old Tawny Port: This well-aged Tawny offers a delightful combination of sweet dried fruits, caramel, and nuts, making it the perfect holiday indulgence.

3. Moscato d’Asti: Light and Lively

For those who prefer a lighter, more refreshing dessert wine, Moscato d’Asti from Italy is a wonderful option. Made from the Muscat grape, Moscato d’Asti is lightly sparkling and offers vibrant aromas of peach, apricot, and orange blossom. The wine is sweet but not overpoweringly so, with a refreshing acidity that helps balance out its sweetness.

Why It’s Great for the Holidays:

Moscato d’Asti is an excellent choice for those who want a lighter, less intense dessert wine to pair with delicate sweets. It pairs wonderfully with fruit-based desserts like fruit salad, berry tarts, or sorbet, and it can also be enjoyed on its own as a refreshing pre-dessert drink. Its low alcohol content makes it a great option for day-long festivities, and its effervescence adds a festive touch to any holiday gathering.

Best Bottle to Buy:

Vigna del Sorbo Moscato d’Asti: This sparkling wine offers a bright, aromatic profile with a balanced sweetness that makes it a crowd-pleaser at any holiday party.

4. Ice Wine: A Northern Delight

Ice wine, or Eiswein, is a interesting dessert wine made from grapes that have solidified on the vine, more often than not in locales with colder climates like Canada and Germany. The solidifying handle concentrates the sugars and flavors in the grapes, coming about in a wine that is heightening sweet however refreshingly fresh.Ice wines are typically made from Riesling or Vidal Blanc grapes, and they often showcase flavors of honey, peach, and tropical fruit.

Why It’s Great for the Holidays:

Ice wine’s intense sweetness and refreshing acidity make it a perfect pairing for creamy desserts like cheesecake, crème brûlée, or custard. It also works well with fruit-based desserts, such as poached pears or apple strudel. Its rarity and distinctiveness make it an impressive wine to serve at holiday dinners or to gift to a wine lover.

Best Bottle to Buy:

Inniskillin Vidal Icewine: As one of the most famous producers of Canadian ice wine, Inniskillin’s Vidal Icewine offers a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, with rich flavors of honey and stone fruit.

5. Sherry: A Classic with a Twist

Sherry, a fortified wine from the Jerez region of Spain, is another excellent choice for the holiday season. While Sherry is often associated with dry wines, the sweeter styles, particularly Pedro Ximénez (PX), are some of the richest and most decadent dessert wines available. PX Sherry is made from the Pedro Ximénez grape, and it’s often aged for many years, resulting in a thick, syrupy wine with flavors of dried figs, molasses, and toffee.

Why It’s Great for the Holidays:

PX Sherry is a luxurious option that pairs wonderfully with rich desserts such as chocolate cake, fruitcakes, or traditional Christmas puddings. Its intense sweetness and smooth texture make it an indulgent treat for those looking to add an extra touch of sophistication to their holiday table.

Best Bottle to Buy:

Lustau Pedro Ximénez San Emilio: This PX Sherry is renowned for its deep, complex flavors of dried fruit, coffee, and chocolate, making it an exceptional pairing for holiday desserts.

6. Late Harvest Wines: A Sweet Finish

Grapes that are harvested later than usual, frequently after they have matured more on the vine, are used to make late harvest wines.This extended ripening allows the sugars in the grapes to concentrate, resulting in a sweeter wine. Late harvest wines can be made from a variety of grape varieties, but the most common are Riesling and Chenin Blanc.

Why It’s Great for the Holidays:

Late harvest wines are versatile and can pair with a wide range of desserts, including pies, cakes, and pastries. They offer a great balance of sweetness and acidity, making them an excellent choice for those who prefer something not too heavy.

Best Bottle to Buy:

Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos: This Hungarian late harvest wine offers a unique flavor profile with notes of apricot, honey, and orange peel, perfect for complementing holiday sweets.

7. Rutherglen Muscat: A Sweet Australian Treasure

Rutherglen Muscat, made from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains grapes in the Rutherglen region of Australia, is a dessert wine that has been beloved for centuries. The wine is fortified and aged in old barrels, which gives it a deep amber color and rich, complex flavors of caramel, toffee, and dried fruits. It is typically sweet but balanced by a bright acidity.

Why It’s Great for the Holidays:

Rutherglen Muscat is a perfect after-dinner wine, ideal for sipping on a chilly winter evening. Its decadent sweetness makes it a great match for rich desserts like Christmas pudding, pecan pie, or a cheese board.

Best Bottle to Buy:

Campbells Rutherglen Muscat: This bottle offers a rich, full-bodied profile with luscious flavors of caramel and dried fruit, making it the perfect wine to serve at any holiday gathering.

Conclusion

The holiday season is a time to indulge, celebrate, and enjoy the company of loved ones, and the perfect dessert wine can enhance these moments even further. Whether you choose the luxurious richness of Sauternes, the rich, fruit-forward notes of Port, or the refreshing sweetness of Moscato d’Asti, there is a dessert wine for every occasion. The seven wines featured here are not only exceptional in taste, but they also embody the spirit of the season — sweet, indulgent, and full of warmth. When selecting the best dessert wines to buy this holiday season, keep in mind the pairing possibilities, the wine’s unique characteristics, and, most importantly, the enjoyment they will bring to your festivities. Cheers to a sweet holiday season!

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