Before they became an overlooked column on the dessert menu, sweet wines were revered by the aristocracy. French king Louis XV dubbed sweet Hungarian Tokaji, “the king of wines and the wine of kings.” Thomas Jefferson and French emperor Napoleon III cherished the Sauternes from Bordeaux estate Château d’Yquem—so much so that the winery earned a coveted classification on the region’s cru system in 1855.
Since, the style has slowly fallen out of fashion. In the 1950s, 70% of wine consumed in the United States fell into the dessert and fortified category. Today, it’s a mere 2%. Yet among local wine professionals, tawny port and Italian passito-style bottles remain a coveted insiders’ pick—a celebratory finish waiting to be rediscovered. “There’s a rhythm to dining: an opening act, a middle crescendo, and finally, the encore. For me, dessert wines are that encore—expressive, thoughtful and often overlooked,” says Matthew Selva, wine educator and sommelier at Del Mar in Naples. “They’re not just sweet wines—they’re wines born of patience, history and craft. When paired with the right dessert, they turn the end of a meal into something memorable.”
At Del Mar, Matthew considers after-dinner drinks a tour through tradition. He uncorks ports from Portugal’s Douro Valley, Spanish cream sherry and elegant Canadian icewine as a celebratory cap to a meal. The deep, dark fruit perfume of Graham’s Six Grapes Ruby Reserve Port stands up to the decadence of the restaurant’s Turkish mocha torte with chocolate mousse and coffee crumble, while Inniskillin icewine bursts with tropical fruit and a razor-sharp acidity that is the ideal pair for a simple blueberry tart topped with mascarpone.
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Courtesy Royal Tokaji
naples sommeliers favorite dessert wines royal dulok
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Courtesy Royal Tokaji
naples sommeliers favorite dessert wines royal cuvee baked pancakes
Local sommeliers consider dessert wines the perfect finale to fine dining. Del Mar Naples pours Canadian icewine (top picture) and Tokaji—a honeyed, Hungarian blend that King Louis XV dubbed, “the king of wines and the wine of kings.”
Produced from Spain to South Africa, dessert wines get their sweet profiles from residual sugars that remain after the fermentation process. During standard vinification, yeast cells metabolize the sugars in grape juice, converting them to alcohol. With sweet wines, deliberate choices in the vineyard or cellar change that outcome. Grapes are allowed to overripen before being crushed, or in certain regions like Sauternes, the microclimate encourages the growth of botrytis, a natural mold dubbed ‘noble rot,’ that weakens grape skins and concentrates the fruit. During fermentation, yeasts feast on the intensely sugary juice until the alcohol by volume reaches around 15%, killing them and leaving behind a sweet, high-alcohol elixir. With unconcentrated fruit, vintners can mimic the process through fortification by adding high-proof spirits to fermenting wines to interrupt the yeast before all the sugars have been converted to alcohol.
At Naples’ Bleu Provence, managing partner and advanced sommelier Clément Cariot showcases the breadth of dessert wines with more than 100 labels on his Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning list. “There’s a misconception about sugar content and how sweet they’ll be,” he says, noting that customers often assume they’re overly saccharine. “Dessert wines are extremely complex, and you can find fabulous values that outperform comparably priced dry wines.”
Courtesy Donnafugata
Courtesy Donnafugata
Photography by Anna Nguyen
Photography by Anna Nguyen
Courtesy Royal Tokaji
Courtesy Inniskillin Winery
Photography by Anna Nguyen
Courtesy Inniskillin Winery
Among his favorites is sémillon-based Sauternes. With distinct notes of honey, apricot and almond, the syrupy white pairs perfectly with crème brûlée and fruit-based tarts—and with foie gras. “The subtle acidity of Sauternes cleanses the palate by cutting through the fat, leaving your mouth fresh and ready for more,” he explains. “The pairing is a timeless classic.”
For after dinner, Angelina’s Ristorante wine director Nick Kattman suggests opting for a wine that’s sweeter than the dessert it’s accompanying. At the Bonita Springs restaurant, he selects a white Donnafugata ‘Ben Ryé’ Passito di Pantelleria, named after a tiny island straddling the strait between Sicily and Tunisia, to sip with a warm summer peach cobbler. Zibibbo, a type of muscat, is plucked from vines and sun-dried before pressing, giving the wine a golden hue that transitions to deep amber with age. On the nose, it has aromas of stone fruit, apple cider and figs, while the palate marries hints of bruléed peaches, honey and orange zest that complement the fruit cobbler.
While Portugal, France and Italy have long histories with dessert wines, new regions are also experimenting with the category. At pintxo restaurant El Basque in Bonita Springs, wine captain Mircea Andrei features Itsasmendi Urezti. First produced in 2001, the golden-hued, late-harvest wine is the first of its kind in Spanish Basque Country, where the focus has long been on effervescent, dry txakoli. With notes of pear, honey and spice, the first sweet txakoli is considered a gem among industry insiders and has yet to catch the attention of most diners.
Made in some of the world’s most renowned and under-the-radar viticultural regions from a wide variety of grapes, dessert wines are ready to be rediscovered. “Whether it’s the golden glow of Sauternes, the power of port or the aromatic lift of an Italian passito, these wines aren’t just about sweetness,” says Del Mar’s Matthew. “They’re about ending the night with intention.”
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Photography by Anna Nguyen
naples sommeliers favorite dessert wine six grapes chocolate del mar
Despite representing just 2% of U.S. wine consumption today, dessert wines, like port, sherry and icewine, remain coveted at places like Angelina’s Ristorante and El Basque in Bonita Springs. “There’s a misconception about sugar content and how sweet they’ll be,” says Bleu Provence’s Clément Cariot, who has more than 100 after-dinner labels on his list. “Dessert wines are extremely complex.”
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Courtesy Inniskillin Winery
naples sommeliers favorite dessert wine inniskillin grape vines
Served at Del Mar Naples, Inniskillin icewine bursts with tropical fruit and a razor-sharp acidity. Grapes freeze naturally on the vine, creating a pour that’s lusciously sweet but balanced—an ideal pair for a simple blueberry tart.