Unique Dessert Wines & Ports For Christmas

Dessert wine and Port are two sweet forms of wine – but here’s the difference. Dessert wine is made as you would a normal wine, but usually from late harvest grapes (this means their sugars are concentrated), frozen grapes (Ice Wine) or those affected by a fungus called Noble Rot (or Botrytis cinerea). Some famous examples of this are Sauternes and Tokaji. Alternatively, fermentation can simply be stopped earlier during the winemaking process, before the yeast has eaten all the sugar, leaving you with more sugar in the wine and less alcohol.

Port, on the other hand, is a fortified wine, made in the Douro Valley of Portugal. It can be made from over 100 grape varieties. After the usual fermentation process – but before all the sugar has turned to alcohol – a grape-based spirit is added, stopping the fermentation and creating a sweet, fortified dessert wine with an alcohol level around 20% ABV. Port can be made in a variety of styles, from Ruby and Tawny to Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) and even white.

The dried fruit flavours, and balanced sweetness and acidity of dessert wine and Port make them a wonderful way to end a meal – either with or without food.

Dessert wines not only match many sweet treats, like apple tatin and cheesecake, they’re also great with some savoury foods, like salty blue cheese and even rich pâté.

Port is most at home on a cheeseboard; the salty, creaminess of the cheeses matching the fruity, nutty, layered flavours of the Port. Some more oxidised styles, like Tawny Port, are also delightful with sticky toffee pudding, mince pies, or even poured over vanilla ice cream. You can’t go wrong turning up to a dinner party with a bottle of Port.