The Best Fruity Red Wines
- Merlot. Merlot is usually considered among the sweetest of red wines as it is both low in acidity an tannin count.
- Pinot Noir. The level of fruitiness of a Pinot Noir depends on the age of the bottle. ...
- Beaujolais. For those venturing into red wines for the first time, wine expert April Eichmeier suggests beginning with fruity wines to make the transition and introduction easier.
Full Answer
What red wine is the best sweet wine?
11 Excellent Sweet, Fruity, Inexpensive Wines
- Graffigna Centenario Pinot Grigio White Wine. Rating 7. ...
- Gallo Family Vineyards, White Zinfandel. Rating 7.2. ...
- Schmitt Sohne, Relax "Cool Red." Rating 7.5. ...
- Fresita Sparkling Wine. ...
- Boone's Farm Sangria. ...
- Schmitt Sohne, Relax, "Blue." Rating 8. ...
- NVY Envy Passion Fruit. ...
- Nova Tickled Pink Moscato. ...
- Long Flat Red Moscato. ...
- Emeri, Pink Moscato. ...
What are the best sweet red wines?
The best Grenaches from the Global Wine Masters 2021
- DOMAINE ROYAL DE JARRAS, GRIS DE GRIS, 2020. ...
- SCALA DEI, PLA DELS ÀNGELS, 2020. ...
- LAS MARGAS, 2019. ...
- TRES PICOS. ...
- THE BEE-SIDE, 2019. ...
- JARAMAN GRENACHE, 2020. ...
- VIÑA POMAL, VINOS SINGULARES GARNACHA, 2017. ...
- OLD & SURVIVOR VINE GRENACHE. ...
- EDGAR SCHILD OLD BUSH VINE GRENACHE. ...
- HUTTON VALE FARM. ...
What is the best fruity wine?
Zinfandel: A light, fruity, easy-drinking wine. Zinfandel is usually the first choice of those just getting started with drinking wine. Riesling: Coming from Germany, the Riesling wine can either be very dry or very sweet, so be careful about which one you choose and be sure to read the label before purchasing.
Which wines are the sweetest?
Sweet White Wine Types
- Semi-Sweet Wines — Any bottle labeled with 3% residual sugar is considered a semi-sweet or off-dry wine. ...
- Sweet Wines — Wines with 5% sweetness and above are noticeably sweet and pair well with smoky dishes with intense flavor profiles, such as cured meats. ...
- Very Sweet/ Dessert Wines — The dessert wines often range from 7% to 9% in sweetness levels. ...
Best Sweet Red Wines
For many people new to wine, sweet red wines are a great entry point. As a culture, we are used to drinking sweetened drinks from an early age. Jumping directly into a dry, complex red wine may be too much at first. Thankfully, there are some good sweet red wines that are readily accessible at online wine stores or at your local grocer.
Apothic Red Blend
This is one of the more popular sweet red wines available right now. The winemakers did a nice job of creating a wine that can appeal to a new wine drinker while not overdoing the sweetness. You can enjoy this wine and get a sense of what is to come as you move into drier reds.
Wall of Sound Red Blend
The Wall of Sound Red Blend from WINC is one of the best new sweet red wines we've tasted. This is a classic fruity wine from California. The upfront red fruit consists of raspberry, strawberry, and cranberry. You can taste the layers unfold from the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Merlot.
Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz
The Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz is the only South Africa representation on this list. This affordable wine has a rich red color and semi-sweet taste. The berry scents and flavors are prominent, most notably blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry. There are also traces of dark chocolate. Equally acidic and sweet, the Sweet Shiraz 2017 has a deep, rich color.
Cupcake Red Velvet Wine
This grocery store favorite is another excellent choice if you are looking for sweet red wine. The winemakers took care to create an easy-drinking sweet red wine that will appeal to beginning wine drinkers.
New Age Red
The New Age Red comes in a modern, elegantly designed package. It is a sweet and fruity wine from the Mendoza Province of Argentina and contains around 6% alcohol. Befitting the bottle’s bold design, the wine has an audacious blend of freshness and raspberry/cherry taste. It also has a pleasant mix of violet and rose aromas.
Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Amabile
Cleto Chiarli’s Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Amabile is made from Lambrusco grapes grown in Emilia Romagna, Italy. Like all Amabile wines, it has a semi-sweet taste. It is rich in fruity aromas that span a full range of grape scents. This is one of the best sweet and fruity wines around.
Merlot
Merlot is usually considered among the sweetest of red wines as it is both low in acidity an tannin count. Tannins are responsible for the woody and bitter puckering sensation found in many full bodied dry red wines (such as Cabernet Sauvignon), therefore wines lacking in tannins appear sweeter as the fruit is more pronounced.
Pinot Noir
The level of fruitiness of a Pinot Noir depends on the age of the bottle. Very young bottles of Pinot Noir are light and fruity, and are usually described as having berry flavors sch as raspberry and cherry. However, as Pinot Noir ages, it takes on more spicy earthy flavors.
Beaujolais
For those venturing into red wines for the first time, wine expert April Eichmeier suggests beginning with fruity wines to make the transition and introduction easier. She suggests trying a French Beaujolais, a young fruity wine that is perhaps the lightest red table wine out there.
Red Zinfandel
Red Zinfandel is primarily a California produced wine, though the Zinfandel grape is used widely to produce white Zinfandels and port wines. The Zinfandel grape is a very fruity grape and is therefore used to sweeten blends.
What Makes a Wine Sweet?
Wine is made through the process of fermenting white or red grapes. The sugar content of grapes is sufficient for converting to alcohol with the addition of yeast. Grapes also provide the required amount of tannins, acids, and ester to produce a natural wine.
Can You Get a Sweet Red Wine?
Red wine is often favored for its deep, robust flavors and heady aromas. And, it’s commonly expected to find red wines to be dry because of their levels of tannins, acids, and little residual sugar. Some of the more popular dry wines such as Merlot and Pinot Noir may be lighter with fruity aromas but they’re certainly not sweet on the taste buds!
Exploring Sweet Red Wine for Beginners
If you’re a newbie to exploring sweet red wines, you may be surprised by some of the styles under the varying sweetness categories on the chart. Let’s talk about some of the wines under the sweet categories and explore why they’re considered a sweet red wine.
Residual Sugar Content of Red Wines
Very sweet red wines will have a sugar content of up to 220g/L (g/L). Sweet to semi-sweet red wines can be anything between 20g/L t0 120g/L. Bone dry wines have residual sugar of below 1g/L. Dry-tasting wines can have up to 10 grams of sugar per liter!
Red Wine Sweetness: FAQ
Merlot is a popular red wine for beginners and is produced in many countries such as France, Italy, South Africa, Argentina, and South America. It’s often compared with Malbec but on the sweetness chart, Merlot would be placed in the dry category. The residual sugar content of Merlot is very low, resulting in a wine with a high alcohol level.
Final Thoughts
The best indication of a sweet red wine is its residual sugar content. However, most winemakers don’t include this information on their packaging, making it difficult for beginners to determine the sweetness of a red wine.
Sweet Red Wines That Sparkle
Sparkling red wines are far less common than their white alternatives — it seems even the most passionate wine lovers haven’t always had the pleasure of a glass of red bubbles.
Full- and Medium-Bodied Sweet Red Wines
Sweet red wines with a medium to full body usually taste fruity on the tongue, rather than overly sweet. If you’re not a fan of intense, robust reds like Merlot, you may prefer a slightly sweeter alternative.
Light-Bodied Sweet Red Wines
For those who love their wines light on the body and sweeter on the palate, these two delicious red wines are your best choice.
Sweet Red Fortified Wines
Red wines aren’t always robust and tannic — some of the sweetest wines in the world are red! We’re huge fans of red dessert wines, but be warned, when we say sweet we mean sweet. Some ruby Ports have a similar sugar content to Coca Cola.
How to Serve Sweet Red Wine
For sparkling reds, such as Lambrusco, serve chilled just like you would a white sparkling wine. You can pair this bubbly red with a range of different dishes, but to keep it inline with its Italian roots, pizza is a great choice.
Sweet Dreams
We hope we’ve spiked your interest with our list of sweet red wines, but this has merely scratched the surface of the wonderful options on the market. There are plenty of others to discover, including red blends and other sparkling beauties.
The Best Sweet and Fruity Wines
I was never much of a wine drinker—except for an occasional bottle of Arbor Mist, a brand a true wine lover might write off as juice rather than wine. Maybe I was only an "alcoholic juice" drinker? So I decided to do some experimenting to see what other types of wine I would enjoy (if there were actually any at all).
11 Excellent Sweet, Fruity, Inexpensive Wines
Graffigna Centenario Pinot Grigio White Wine. Rating 7. Not an overly sweet wine. But it has a nice "bite" to it. Hints of peaches and apricots.
What Kinds of Wine Are Sweet and Fruity?
When looking for a sweeter-tasting wine, it is best to stick to these types:
Residual Sugar
If you like sweet wine, then you'll want to know this term: "residual sugar" refers to the natural grape sugars (fructose and glucose) that are still present in the wine even after fermentation. If the process of fermentation ends before all the sugar is used up, the wine will contain more residual sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
The sweetest wines are the ones with the most residual sugar: port, moscato, most zinfandels and rieslings, and sauternes are the types to look for in the liquor store.
What to Eat With Sweet Wine
Sweet wines taste even better with food. Everyone knows they pair nicely with cheese (and creamy things in general), but their sweetness also accentuates the pleasure of other flavors—bitter, sour, or salty.
What Kind of Sweet, Fruity Wine Do You Like?
If you have tried and loved any wine that is not on the list, please let me know because I am interested in trying it and possibly adding it to the list.
1. Dal Forno Romano Vigna Seré Veneto Passito Rosso 2004
This Passito is made in the Dal Forno area, just west of Venice, from grapes planted in chalky-clay soils outside the town. This wine has only been produced six times in the past 30 years, which speaks for its immense quality.
2. Sandeman Fine Ruby Port
To this day, the Sandeman Ruby Port is made the old-fashioned way. It is rich and robust while having a depth of flavor and subtlety only attained by expertly blending the wine from Sandeman's extensive stock.
3. Tobin James Liquid Love Late Harvest Zinfandel 2016
American winemakers Tobin James and Lance Silver have mastered the style of the fruit-rich Paso Robles vineyards, using these sweet and spicy zinfandels as an example.
4. Bodkin The Crown Jewels Red Dessert Wine 2014
Based in Sonoma County, Bodkin Wines is most recognized for producing America's first home-grown sparkling Sauvignon Blanc by winemaker Christopher Christensen.
5. Braida Brachetto d'Acqui 2019
Braida Brachetto d'Acqui has a light ruby red color with purple reflections. It also has lively foam and persistent perlage, making it enjoyable to drink.
6. Riunite Lambrusco Emilia
Riunite wines are made up of red Lambrusco grapes from the Emilia-Romagna area of Italy. You'll be smitten with only one sip! Lush red fruit aromas and flavors, a slightly sweet profile, and a delicate sparkle contribute to this wine's appeal.
7. Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui 2019
This exquisite and lovely sparkling red hails from Banfi's award-winning estate in Tuscany's Brunello area. Rosa Regale is produced in the Brachetto d'Acqui Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, or DOCG, one of Italy's smallest producing wine regions.
Why Are Some Wines Sweeter Than Others?
While some wine is dry as a bone, other wines taste as sweet as a can of soda. But how can this be when all wine is made by the fermentation of grape juice?
Red Wine Sweetness Chart
There is plenty of variation in a red wine sweetness chart. Some red wines have a teeth-aching 20% residual sugar, while others are as low as 1%.
Which Wines Top the Red Wine Sweetness Chart?
Those in the first category are dessert wines. These gorgeously sugar-heavy and decadent options — such as ruby Port, tawny Port, and Vin Santo Rosso from Italy — are perfect for those with a sweet tooth.
Which Red Wines Are the Least Sweet?
Let’s take a closer look at the drier end of the red wine sweetness chart. While popular favorites Merlot and Pinot Noir are considered dry red wines, they have higher levels of residual sugars than the very dry options.
When To Drink Sweet Red Wine
Very sweet red wines such as tawny and ruby Ports are the perfect addition to a decadent dessert. While the indulgent syrupy flavors of Port are too much for some, these sweet wines are heavenly when paired with a rich chocolate torte or a traditional Portugese custard tart.
When To Drink Dry Red Wine
Dry red wines such as Merlot and Pinot Noir are very popular in the wine world. Picking a nice bottle of Merlot for your dinner party is a safe bet, as it pairs well with a range of dishes and most people tend to like it.
Why We Love Dry and Sweet Red Wine
While we definitely have our favorites for different occasions, when it comes to red wine, we love them all. Sweet red wines are the perfect addition to sweeter dishes, and often boast some of the fruitiest flavors in the wine world.
Red Wine Sweetness Chart
We've organized this wine chart from dry to sweet.
Sweet Red Wines
Now that you know all about the flavors in dry red wine, we can talk about sweet red wines. Slightly Sweet Red Wine Flavors Slightly Sweet red wines are often red wine blends, such as Apothic Red, Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet, and others.
Dessert Wine Recommendations
The red wines above are perfect for enjoying on their own or with dinner. They are sweet, but they’re not so sweet that you’d enjoy them for dessert. That’s where dessert wines come in. You wouldn’t want to drink a glass of dessert wine with dinner, because it would simply be too sweet and rich.
Wine Sweetness
Wine sweetness is determined by whether there is any sugar in the finished wine. But do you know why some wines have sugar in them still, while others don't?
