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.
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At A Glance: Our Top Picks for Sweet Red Wines
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Quick Guide To Sweet Red Wine
Dessert Wines
When longtime wine drinkers talk about sweet wines, they are usually referring specifically to the category of dessert wines. These sweet wines come in a wide range of styles and production methods.
Among them, Port, Madeira, and Marsala are the most prominent. There are also many types of specialty sweet wines, including Dolce, Dessert, Sec, Demi-sec, Late Harvest, and more.
These are produced to complement sweet desserts or cheese boards. We've included a few ruby ports on our list below. These are wines for sipping with your sweet treat.
Sweet (fruity) Red Wines
The sweet red wines at the start of our list or more suitable for everyday drinking.
There can be some confusion between sweet red wines and reds that are fruity. Sweet wines have residual sugar that is left after fermentation. Fruity wines are dry wines (no residual sugar) with aromas and tastes of fruits like cherry, raspberry, plum, or blackberry to name a few. When you drink these red wines, they may seem pleasantly sweet to you.
A nice example is how sweet a merlot can taste. The red fruit aromas from the grape trick your brain into thinking you are drinking something sweet.
What Are Semi-Sweet Wines?
Semi-sweet wine is a type of wine that is not as sweet as a sweet wine but is still sweeter than dry wine.
The sweetness level of semi-sweet wine can vary depending on the grapes used and the winemaking process. It has a sugar content range of 2-5% and an ABV of 9-12%. That compares to a sugar content of 0-2% for dry wine and 5-35% for sweet wine.
The sweetness in semi-sweet wine comes from the residual sugar that is left over after fermentation. The grapes used for semi-sweet wine are often picked later in the season when they are riper and have higher sugar content. Semi-sweet wine is often served as an aperitif or dessert wine.
QUICK OVERVIEW: Our Top Picks for Best Sweet Red Wines
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
 | Our Top Pick Apothic Red Blend
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 | Witching Hour Sweet Red Blend
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 | Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz
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 | Cupcake Red Velvet Wine
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 | Low Alcohol New Age Red
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 | Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Amabile
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 | Carletto Ricco Dolce
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 | Chocolate Shop Chocolate Red Wine
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 | Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port
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 | Ramos Pinto Late Bottled Vintage
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 | Graham's Late Bottled Vintage Port
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So let's dive in. Here are some of the best sweet red wines.
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.
Apothic Red is a blend of zinfandel, merlot, syrah, and cabernet sauvignon. We feel that this is a zin-driven wine with a flavor profile to match. The wine starts with a blast of ripe dark fruit, think black plums, and cherries. Then you get an explosion of berry flavor followed by subtle notes of cocoa and vanilla. There is a fair amount of acidity that helps to balance out the sweetness, but you will get a lot of sweetness from this wine.
You can pair Apothic Red with a great cheese by clicking here.
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Witching Hour Sweet Red Blend
This is an uncommonly enjoyable sweet red wine. With a light body and a lot of ripe red fruit, Witching Hour is a great introduction to red wines for white wine drinkers.
We also like the lower alcohol content of this wine. It clocks in at only 13.5% abv. That is on the low side for red wine. It's a perfect wine to bring along to a cookout or a picnic. That's what makes this one of the best sweet red wines available.
The winemaker suggests pairing this wine with barbecued meats or brie cheese. We find sweet reds also pair well with spicier dishes.
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Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz
The Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz is the only South African wine 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. This is probably the best sweet red wine for beginners.
While it can be enjoyed on its own, the Sweet Shiraz 2017 is also great with a wide variety of savory foods or as an aperitif. Best pairings include aged cheeses, grilled meats, blue cheeses, and Moroccan-spiced lamb.
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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.
Expect a mouthful of bright red fruit and a nice silky feel to the wine. Think red cherries and maybe a hint of raspberry. The wine finishes with some vanilla from the oak it is aged in. The wine does have a good amount of sugar, but the acidity does balance it a bit. As you would expect, there isn't a ton of complexity, but the wine does have an OK finish and the price is definitely right.
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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. The grape varieties used include 30% Malbec and 70% Bonarda.
Owing to its fresh flavor and distinct aroma, the New Age Red is best served chilled. It works well as an aperitif or with dessert.
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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.
This fantastic sweet red wine goes well on its own, as well as with Italian cuisine. If you’re serving it with food, pizza, lasagna, and cured meats are your best choices.
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Ricco Dolce
This Ricco Dolce is a quality, affordable variety of sweet red wine from Italy. It features an excellent combination of cherry and raspberry aromas and a pleasant, sweet taste, making it one of the best sweet and fruity wines.
Ricco Dolce has a bubbly character and a refreshing taste. The wine is made from 30% Malvasia Rosso and 70% Brachetto. The total alcohol content is pretty low at only 6.5% ABV.
Carletto’s Ricco Dolce goes well with desserts. Some of the recommendations include crème Brulee, fruit salad, cheesecake, and chocolate
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Chocolate Shop Chocolate Red Wine
The Chocolate Red Wine from Chocolate Shop is an ideal sweet red wine for beginners. It has a beautiful medium red color and 12.5% alcohol. Dark chocolate and cherry are the most prominent flavors, with cocoa powder undertones. Chocolate Red Wine has a smooth finish with a residual sugar finish.
Chocolate Shop’s Chocolate Red Wine can be served both chilled and at ambient temperature, depending on your preferences. It goes great with sweet desserts.
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Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port
Named after the town of Oporto (from which they originate), port wines are renowned for their sweetness. Graham’s 20-Year-Old Tawny Port belongs to the tawny type, a bit on the dry side. It has a nutty character, with intertwining caramel, dried fruit, coffee beans, and green tea aromas.
Graham’s 20-Year-Old Tawny is best served with desserts, such as crème Brulee and vanilla ice cream. It is recommended to serve it slightly chilled and in Port glasses to accentuate its rich aroma and complex taste.
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Ramos Pinto Late Bottled Vintage
Port is arguably the best sweet red wine, or at least the most popular, enjoyed by millions of wine enthusiasts around the world. The ruby variety generally offers more freshness and a stronger attack than the tawny. The Ramos Pinto Late Bottled Vintage port is one of the best affordable ruby ports out there. It displays rich red color and a blend of plum, blackberry, raspberry, and cherry aromas.
This ruby port is best served at room temperature (16-20 degrees Celsius) thanks to its fresh and rich taste. Best pairings include cheese and crackers and sweet desserts.
Graham's Late Bottled Vintage 2015
Port wines can be expensive. There are plenty of bottles that sell for over $100. We went looking for a port that is both deliciously sweet and affordable. The bottle from Graham's hit the mark.
Like all ports, it is a strong wine (20% ABV) with a sweet and rich taste. It features the aromas of dark berries, licorice, and sweet herbs. On the tongue, this wine brings sweet richness with a pronounced plum flavor. It's truly a delicious sweet red wine at a wonderful price point.
As for pairings, Graham's Late Bottled Vintage goes best with blue cheeses, particularly Stilton cheese. It also pairs well with toasted walnuts.
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Red Wine Sweetness Chart
This chart will give you an idea of how sweet various wines are. These are listed by grape variety and wine style.
Very Sweet
- Ruby Port
- Tawny Port
Sweet
- Brachetto D'acqui
- Beaugolais Nouveau
- Lambrusco
Medium Sweet
- Shiraz
- Zinfandel
- Malbec
- Grenache
Dry
- Merlot
- Syrah
- Sangiovese
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Pinot Noir
Conclusion
Sweet red wines like a sweet merlot or sweet shiraz can serve as a great introduction to red wines, or wines in general. They are generally easier on the tongue than the traditional Bordeaux and Cabernet varieties. While in no way complete, this list of best sweet red wines might give you a good idea as to where to start.
