wein.plus
Attention
You are using an old browser that may not function as expected.
For a better, safer browsing experience, please upgrade your browser.
Chrome
Firefox
Microsoft Edge
Safari
Opera

    • Welcome back!

      New to wein.plus? Become a Member
  • Become a Member

Log in Become a Member

Lexicon

The largest wine encyclopedia in the world with 26,537 Terms.

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Sweet wine

Designation for wines with a high content of unfermented sugar that are made from grapes rich in sugar. The ideal climatic conditions for this are found around the Mediterranean, which is why many of the famous sweet wines come from Greece, Spain, France, Portugal and Italy. They have an ancient tradition. The most famous ancient wines include the sultana wine Passum from Rome and Commandaria from Cyprus.

Famous sweet wines

In the late Middle Ages, sweet wines were very popular with European ruling houses and aristocratic circles. The Greek port of Monemvasia was a famous trading centre for sweet specialities from islands in the Aegean such as Crete, Paros, Samos and Santorini. The emerging global trade made Constantia from South Africa, sweet wines from France such as Château d'Yquem and Tokay from Hungary famous. From the 16th century onwards, expeditions to the discovered territories of the New World preserved the wines with alcohol enhancers (sprits) for the long sea voyages. This was the beginning of the triumphal march of Madeira, port, sherry and co.

To read the full text, you must be a Premium Member of wein.plus. You are currently not logged in to wein.plus. Become a Premium Member or log in with your credentials .

Become a Premium Member of wein.plus

Voices of our members

Dominik Trick

The wein.plus encyclopaedia is a comprehensive, well-researched reference work. Available anytime and anywhere, it has become an indispensable part of teaching, used by students and myself alike. Highly recommended!

Dominik Trick
Technischer Lehrer, staatl. geprüfter Sommelier, Hotelfachschule Heidelberg

The world's largest Lexicon of wine terms.

26,537 Keywords · 47,072 Synonyms · 5,318 Translations · 31,870 Pronunciations · 222,201 Cross-references
made with ♥ by our author Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer. About the Lexicon

EVENTS NEAR YOU

To Online-Events
28.05.25 - 01.06.25 Nyetimber Vineyard, Gay Street, West Chiltington, Pulborough RH20 2HH, Vereinigtes Königreich Wine Journey to South England May/June 2025 5 Days – Guided Wine Journey with Cultural Program through Sussex and Hampshire Wednesday | May 28 – Sunday, June 1, 2025
10.05.25 - 11.05.25 29 Rte des Châteaux, 33710 Tauriac, France Open doors offene Türen
10.05.25 Bahnhofsring 4, 26789 Leer (Ostfriesland), Deutschland Wine Wolff rocks Wine tasting and party
04.04.25 Corneliusstraße 75, 40215 Düsseldorf, Deutschland Wine Tasting Enjoying in a sociable circle for a good cause
07.04.25 Erkrather Str. 226, 40233 Düsseldorf, Deutschland Düsseldorf - MODERN:IST - try it day 2025 „try it day – B2B Event“ der MODERN:IST WinzerInnen in Düsseldorf
21.03.25 - 23.03.25 An d. Jahrhunderthalle 1, 44793 Bochum, Deutschland 18. WEINmesse Bochum Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of wine. Taste extensively, find your favourite wines and shop sustainably!
04.04.25 Westring 33, 44787 Bochum, Deutschland Natural Wine More than a trend?
09.05.25 Girardetstraße 10, 45131 Essen, Deutschland Exclusive Champagne Tasting with Taittinger & Bollinger
01.04.25 Köln, Deutschland WSET® Level 1 Award in Beer International - Dive into the world of beer with our WSET® Level 1 Award in Beer, offered in English.
02.04.25 - 04.04.25 Köln, Deutschland WSET® Level 2 Award in Beer Deepen your beer knowledge with our three-day WSET® Level 2 Award in Beer, offered in English.
PREMIUM PARTNERS