How to Make Dessert Wine: Late Harvest & Sauternes Style

Updated: February 2026 | Reading Time: 12 minutes

Dessert wines are vinous treasures—rich, complex, honeyed wines that can be enjoyed in small quantities for a lifetime. From the legendary Sauternes of France to the botrytized beauties of Germany and Hungary, these wines represent some of the most sought-after beverages in the world.

While production of true Sauternes requires specific conditions (including the "noble rot" fungus), home winemakers can produce delicious dessert wines using several approaches. In this guide, we'll explore the major methods for making sweet wines at home.

Understanding Dessert Wine

Dessert wines are characterized by their sweetness—residual sugar that remains after fermentation stops or is stopped. But they're more than just sweet; they're complex, balanced, and age-worthy.

The key to great dessert wine is achieving a balance between sweetness, acidity, and alcohol. Without sufficient acidity, sweet wines become cloying. Without sufficient alcohol, they lack body and longevity.

Methods for Making Dessert Wine

1. Late Harvest

The simplest approach: harvest grapes later than normal, when they're overripe and very sweet. The high sugar content produces wines with natural residual sweetness.

2. Noble Rot (Botrytis)

Allow the beneficial fungus Botrytis cinerea to infect grapes, concentrating sugars and adding complex flavors. This is how true Sauternes is made.

3. Ice Wine (Eiswein)

Grapes are frozen on the vine, then pressed while still frozen. The water forms ice crystals, leaving behind concentrated, sweet juice.

4. Fortification

Add spirits (brandy) to halt fermentation, preserving sweetness. This is how Port and Madeira are made.

We'll cover fortification in our article on fortified wines.

Method 1: Late Harvest Wine

Late harvest is the most accessible method for home winemakers. You simply leave grapes on the vine longer, allowing them to become overripe and very sweet.

The Process

1. Let grapes hang on the vine 2-4 weeks past normal harvest
2. Grapes become raisinated and very sweet
3. Monitor for rot—if grapes start to decay, harvest immediately
4. Press and ferment like regular wine
5. Stop fermentation before all sugar is consumed

What to Expect

• High sugar content (often 30°+ Brix)
• Rich, honeyed flavors
• Potential for noble rot development (if conditions are right)
• Can age for decades

Best Grapes

• Riesling (classic for late harvest)
• Vidal Blanc (reliable, winter-hardy)
• Gewürztraminer (aromatic, exotic)
• Chenin Blanc (versatile)

Challenges

• Birds and animals will target sweet grapes
• Weather can destroy late-hanging grapes
• Yeast may struggle with very high sugar (stuck fermentation risk)

Method 2: Noble Rot (Sauternes Style)

True Sauternes-style wines require noble rot—a carefully controlled infection by the Botrytis fungus. This is more challenging but produces extraordinary results.

Understanding Noble Rot

Botrytis cinerea is a fungus that, under specific conditions, penetrates grape skins and evaporates water, concentrating sugars. It also produces unique flavor compounds that contribute to Sauternes' distinctive character.

Conditions needed:

• Morning fog or mist (high humidity)
• Warm, dry afternoons
• Healthy grapes (early season)
• Careful monitoring

The Process

1. Start with healthy, ripe grapes
2. Wait for morning mists/fog (or create conditions)
3. Monitor grapes daily for botrytis infection
4. Look for: gray mold, raisinated berries, golden color
5. Select grapes individually (pick only botrytized berries)
6. Press gently—botrytized grapes are fragile
7. Ferment slowly, at cool temperatures

Fermentation Challenges

Noble rot creates challenging conditions for yeast:

• Very high sugar levels
• Limited nutrients (fungus consumes them)
• Fermentation may take months
• Use robust yeast strains designed for high alcohol

Method 3: Ice Wine (Eiswein)

Ice wine is made from grapes frozen on the vine. When frozen, water forms ice crystals, leaving behind concentrated sugars and flavors in what remains.

The Process

<1>Leave grapes on the vine through autumn
1. Protect from birds with netting
2. Wait until temperatures drop below 17°F (-8°C)
3. Harvest frozen grapes immediately
4. Press while still frozen (keep grapes cold)
5. Collect the concentrated juice that drips out
6. Ferment at cool temperatures

What to Expect

• Extremely concentrated juice (often 35-40° Brix)
• Very high acidity
• Exceptionally sweet and long-lived wines
• Intense, complex flavors

DIY Ice Wine (Simulated)

If you can't wait for natural freezing:

1. Harvest grapes at normal ripeness
2. Freeze grapes in a freezer
3. Thaw slightly (just enough to press)
4. Press immediately while cold
5. Ferment the concentrated juice

This isn't true ice wine (which requires vine-freezing), but produces similar results.

Controlling Fermentation

Making dessert wine requires stopping fermentation before all sugar is consumed. Here's how:

Method: Cold Stabilization

1. Allow fermentation to reach desired sweetness level
2. Move to cold storage (32-40°F/0-4°C)
3. Hold for 1-2 weeks
4. Yeast go dormant in cold
5. Rack and add sulfites to stabilize

Method: Fortification

1. Allow fermentation to reach desired sweetness
2. Add high-proof spirits (brandy or neutral spirit)
3. Proof: About 10% of total volume (e.g., 1 cup per gallon)
4. The alcohol halts fermentation
5. Sulfites provide additional stabilization

Method: Filtration

Filter the wine to remove yeast, then add sulfites to prevent refermentation. This requires sterile filtration equipment.

Aging Dessert Wines

One of the remarkable things about dessert wines is their aging potential. They can improve for decades.

Storage

• Store horizontally, like any wine
• Keep in cool, dark place
• Minimize temperature fluctuations
• Most can age 10-30+ years

Signs of Aging

• Color deepens (white wines darken to gold)
• Primary fruit notes evolve into secondary notes (honey, caramel)
• Tannins soften and integrate
• Complexity increases

Serving Dessert Wines

Temperature

Serve slightly cool but not cold:

• White dessert wines: 45-50°F (7-10°C)
• Not refrigerator-cold

Glassware

Use small glasses—dessert wines are meant to be savored in small quantities. The smaller bowl concentrates the aromas.

When to Serve

• As an aperitif (before dinner)
• With dessert
• Alone, as a meditation wine
• With cheese (especially blue cheese)

Conclusion

Making dessert wine at home is a rewarding project that produces exceptional results. Whether you pursue late harvest simplicity or attempt the noble rot challenge, these wines represent the pinnacle of winemaking achievement.

Start with late harvest wines—they're the most approachable and forgiving. As you gain experience, experiment with botrytis selection and longer aging. The results will be worth the wait.

Interested in fortified wines? Check out our guide to Making Fortified Wine.