Sweet / Fortified

Sweet wines encompass diverse styles and production methods. Moscato offers light, fresh sweetness with floral aromatics. Dessert wines like Sauternes and Tokaji are made from botrytis-affected grapes, creating honeyed complexity. Late harvest wines concentrate natural grape sugars through extended ripening. Ice wines are made from frozen grapes, producing intense sweetness and acidity. Fortified wines like Port and Sherry combine sweetness with higher alcohol. Each style offers unique flavour profiles and food pairing opportunities.

Right here at TradingGrapes.com! We offer a curated range of premium sweet and fortified wines at varying price points from Australia and internationally, with fast shipping Australia-wide and optional professional cellaring. Browse our 'Sweet & Fortified' collection or explore 'All wines' for the complete range. If you're after something specific or want more of a favourite, let us know - we love sourcing exceptional bottles.

We stock an exceptional selection including elegant Moscato, world-renowned Sauternes, premium Australian stickies, vintage Port, quality Sherry, late harvest Riesling, botrytis Semillon, and unique fortified styles. Our range spans light, refreshing sweet wines perfect for casual sipping through to complex, age-worthy dessert wines and investment-grade vintage Ports. Each style offers different expressions of sweetness, texture, and flavour complexity.

Fortified wine is created by adding neutral grape spirit during fermentation, which stops the process early and preserves natural grape sweetness whilst increasing alcohol content to 15-22% ABV. This technique creates wines with concentrated flavours, natural preservative qualities, and excellent ageing potential. Classic examples include Port (from Portugal), Sherry (from Spain), and Australian fortified styles. The timing of fortification determines final sweetness and character.

Absolutely not! Sweet wines are incredibly versatile with food. They pair brilliantly with blue cheese, foie gras, spicy Asian cuisine, aged hard cheeses, charcuterie, and even red meats. The sweetness balances salt, spice, and umami flavours beautifully. Many sweet wines work as aperitifs or with savoury courses. Classic pairings like Sauternes with Roquefort or Port with Stilton demonstrate how sweetness enhances rather than competes with complex flavours.

Late harvest wines are made from grapes left on vines to naturally concentrate sugars through dehydration, creating pure, focused sweetness. Botrytis wines (like Sauternes or Tokaji) use grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea ("noble rot"), a beneficial fungus that pierces grape skins during humid mornings, allowing moisture to evaporate whilst concentrating sugars and developing unique flavours of honey, marmalade, dried fruits, and spice. Botrytis wines typically show more complexity than late harvest styles.

Yes! Many sweet and fortified wines age exceptionally well due to their higher sugar and alcohol content acting as natural preservatives. Premium Sauternes can age for decades, developing deeper colour and nutty complexity. Vintage Port can improve for 20-50+ years, becoming silky and complex. Australian stickies often age beautifully for 10-20 years. Some legendary wines like Château d'Yquem can last over a century. Check recommended drinking windows on our product pages.

Serving temperature dramatically affects sweet wine enjoyment. Sweet wines like Moscato, Sauternes, and late harvest styles are best well-chilled at 6-8°C to balance sweetness with refreshing acidity. Fortified wines like vintage Port should be served at room temperature (15-18°C) to showcase their complexity. Use smaller glasses to concentrate aromatics and prevent overwhelming sweetness. Decanting older vintage Ports helps separate sediment and allows the wine to breathe.

Sweet wines excel with diverse pairings beyond dessert. Blue cheese and Sauternes create classic contrast between salty, creamy cheese and honeyed wine. Port pairs beautifully with aged Cheddar or Stilton. Moscato complements spicy Asian dishes, fresh fruit, or light desserts. Late harvest Riesling works with foie gras or fruit tarts. The key is balancing sweetness with salt, spice, or acidity. Many sweet wines are delicious solo as contemplative sippers.

Longevity varies by style. Fortified wines like Port or Sherry last 2-4 weeks once opened due to higher alcohol content - store sealed in a cool, dark place. Sweet table wines are more delicate, typically lasting 2-3 days when re-corked and refrigerated. Higher-quality sweet wines often improve on day two as they open up. For extended preservation, consider wine preservation systems like Coravin, especially for premium bottles.

Not necessarily! Sweet table wines like Moscato typically range from 5-12% ABV, making them lighter than most dry wines. However, fortified sweet wines like Port (19-22% ABV), Sherry (15-20% ABV), and fortified Muscats can be significantly stronger than regular table wines. The production method determines alcohol levels - fortification increases strength, whilst some sweet wines achieve lower alcohol through early harvest or special techniques.

Sweet wines are experiencing renewed appreciation! Modern wine culture increasingly values diverse flavour experiences, and quality sweet wines offer complexity and food-pairing versatility that many discover with surprise. Restaurant wine lists feature more sweet wines, and younger drinkers appreciate styles like natural sweet wines and premium Moscato. Well-made sweet wines are timeless - it's about serving them thoughtfully and exploring their versatility beyond traditional dessert pairings.

Australian sweet and fortified wines offer exceptional quality and unique character. Our warm climate produces intensely flavoured "stickies" with concentrated fruit and honeyed complexity. Australian fortified Muscats and Tokays (now called Topaque) from Rutherglen are world-renowned for their richness and complexity. Many Australian sweet wines offer outstanding value compared to European equivalents whilst showcasing distinctive terroir and innovative winemaking approaches.

Start with styles that balance sweetness with other elements. Off-dry Riesling offers subtle sweetness with crisp acidity. Quality Moscato provides gentle sweetness without being cloying. Semi-sweet sparkling wines combine bubbles with light sweetness. For food lovers, emphasise sweet wines' savoury pairing potential - Sauternes with cheese, or Port with chocolate. Choose wines described as "balanced," "elegant," or "not overly sweet" rather than "luscious" or "honeyed."