Off-dry / Sweet White Wine

What it is

This category covers whites that keep some of the grape's natural sugar, from off-dry and medium-sweet wines to sweet late-harvest and noble-rot wines. Classic references include Germany, Alsace, the Loire and Bordeaux, with Sauternes. On the palate they combine sweetness with an acidity that, at its best, keeps them from feeling heavy. Their defining feature is that balance between sugar and freshness, which makes them very versatile at the table.

How it is made

Residual sugar can be kept by stopping fermentation before the yeasts consume all the sugar, usually by chilling and filtering. The sweetest wines generally come from overripe late-harvested grapes, grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea (noble rot), dried grapes or, for ice wine, grapes frozen on the vine.

What to serve it with

• Spicy Asian dishes
• Foie gras
• Blue cheeses
• Fruit desserts
• Pork with sweet-and-sour sauces

On the wine list

• State the sweetness level clearly on the wine list (off-dry, medium-sweet or sweet), as many guests associate Riesling or Gewürztraminer with dry wines.
• Off-dry wines often work well by the glass with spicy food or Asian cuisine; sweet ones in half bottles or by the glass with dessert or cheese.
• Once opened, keep the bottle stoppered and chilled, and note the opening date to manage rotation.