How are dessert wines made?

It all comes down to the concentration of sugar in the grape.

To achieve this, the grapes are:

• dried after harvest
• left to ripen longer on the vine
• sometimes affected by the “noble rot” fungus, Botrytis

As a result, the berries lose water, and the flavor becomes rich, honeyed, and multi-layered.

This is how Sauternes, Tokaji, and many of the world’s most famous dessert wines are created.