Perhaps the world’s best known botrytis wines, the sweet wines of Bordeaux offer the full range from light and playful to rich, decadent, honeyed mammoths easily capable of 30+ years in the bottle.

The French, and British I would assume, pair their wines with a wide variety of dishes, including fish.

In my experience, which I admit is limited to the same three or four dishes when Sauternes is served, these wines are stunning by themselves, and require very rich dishes to stand up to their massive aromas and flavors. Foie Gras is my favorite choice, but Crème Brulee works just fine, as does a good piece of Stilton.

 Sweet wines of Bordeaux:

Sauternes and Barsac (also Loupiac, Cerons, Cadillac and St. Croix-du-Mont… to a lesser degree.)

Sauternes and Barsac, separated by the river Cerons, occupy the best sites, which are on the west of the Garonne and south of the Pessac-Leognan appellation, while the satellite appellations are planted on the eastern side of the Garonne and have different soils.

Communal style: None, Sauternes is the richest, Barsac more fruity.

Aromas/flavors: Honeyed, orange peel, roast pineapple and hazelnut

Soils: Diverse, mostly gravel, clay and limestone.

Shayne Hebert, Wine Supervisor Central Florida

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