★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ade Bro
Great choice of beers and wine. My favorite beer shop ever!!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Alexandre Coates
Great local shop, very friendly staff and delicious drinks. Great selection of non-alcoholic beers as well
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Andrea Pecorelli
I had a great experience at this beer shop. My girlfriend and I came in looking for three beers as a gift for her fat...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Andrew Maudsley
Great selection and prices
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
bala
Great bottle shop with just the nicest person at the shop! Very attentive and helpful. Definitely recommend checking ...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
David pereira
Best bottle shop in Edinburgh, great selection of beers and super helpful staff. My go to for sour beer.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Emily Paul
A phenomenal selection of products that is perhaps only surpassed by how phenomenal their staff is - I went in lookin...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Gezuz Kryst
Great selection with friendly staff.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Giblet Gravy
Absolutely superb selection and even better service. I was given great recommendations that suited my needs, and the ...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Glenn Kent
Dear owner my friend and his wife were there on holiday and found me a bottle of Blantons Gold I have been wanting a ...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
joshua brimdyr
Finest and greatest depth of beers for sale in Edinburgh. The owner is super knowledgeable and helpful. There was a c...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Kenny McCartney
Can't believe I've failed to give a good review of this place before. I've been frequenting this place fo...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Laura Gutiérrez
Una selección muy buena de cerveza. Nos atendió un chico muy amable detallandonos muy bien el producto a pesar de ser...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Lauren
Popped in a few nights ago for some gifts. Great customer experience, they listened to what I was looking for and cam...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Lee Traversari
Spotted on my drive to my last customer, so glad I spotted it. By far one of the best bottle shops I've had the p...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Mark Muir
The Beerhive is simply the best,very friendly knowledgeable staff,always have an extensive range of beers.🍻
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Michael Zenkl
Excellent selection, very kind and knowledgeable co-owner! Thank you, I walked out with 8 exceptional bottles of wine!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
New Fads
Great guys, amazing selection and super knowledgeable! The best.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Owen Frost
Our local bottle shop!Absolutely top service everytime we go in! Team are always so friendly and knowledgeable.Always...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Rachel Wade
Always a pleasure to visit, a real asset to the community, we would be lost without Team Beerhive! Helpful, friendly ...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ross Cooper
Great little beer and wine place
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ross Fraser
Huge selection of quality beers and an execllent local delivery service. I ordered on Thursday night and had the beer...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ryan Collman
Been buying beer from Peter and Richard for nearly 8 years now. Definitely the best beer shop in town.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Seoridh Fraser
Excellent selection across a broad range of price points and styles and thats just the wine. The Beerhive has been ah...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Sian Buchan
excellent wee shop with great staff and wonderful selection - lots of stuff that isn't beer too, picked up a few ...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Steven Halkett
Awesome bottle shop. Totally out of my way but I will return many times
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Stig E
Meget godt utvalg i ØL
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Tara M
Great selection and service with a smile! I was really pleased with their delivery options and frequency. I am cancel...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Tom Hutchinson
An obviously great passion project bottle shop which I'm embarrassed it took me so long to visit. Great selection...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Zera Esham
Great place for exciting craft beers with an excellent wine selection as well. The staff are knowledgeable and friend...

Collection: Sweet Wine

Sweet wine has been prized for centuries because sugar was once a luxury. Long before refrigeration or modern winemaking, concentrating the natural sugars in grapes produced bottles that could travel, age and become some of the world's most celebrated wines.

Explore More of Our Collection

Sweet wine covers a huge range of styles, from lightly off-dry Riesling and sparkling Moscato to intensely concentrated dessert wines such as Sauternes, Tokaji, Eiswein and Pedro Ximénez Sherry. While sweetness levels vary enormously, the best sweet wines balance sugar with acidity, freshness and texture, creating wines that feel vibrant, layered and complex rather than heavy or cloying.

Sweetness can develop through several different winemaking methods, including late harvesting, noble rot, drying grapes after harvest, freezing grapes on the vine or stopping fermentation early to retain natural grape sugars. Each technique produces different styles of sweetness and texture, from bright citrus-driven wines to deeply rich and oxidative dessert wines with remarkable ageing potential.

Our sweet wine range focuses on expressive bottles with concentration, balance and character, from honeyed botrytised wines and fortified styles to fresher off-dry whites and naturally sweet sparkling wines. Alongside classic dessert wine regions, the collection also includes lower-intervention producers and lesser-known sweet wine styles chosen for freshness and individuality.

Expect flavours of apricot, marmalade, citrus peel, dried fruit, honey, spice and orchard fruit alongside wines with vibrant acidity, layered texture and long complex finishes. Depending on style, the wines can range from delicate and refreshing to deeply luscious and intensely concentrated.

Sweet wine also remains one of the most versatile styles for food pairing, working beautifully with cheese, desserts, spice-led dishes and richer savoury cooking. Whether you're looking for a lightly sweet aperitif wine or a cellar-worthy dessert bottle, sweet wine remains one of the most underrated and rewarding areas in the wine world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is sweet wine?

Sweet wine is a category of wine that contains noticeable residual sugar, giving it a sweeter taste compared to dry wines.

How is sweet wine made?

Sweet wine is made when some of the natural grape sugars are left unfermented, or when production methods like late harvesting, drying grapes or noble rot concentrate sugars in the fruit.

What does sweet wine taste like?

Sweet wine can taste fruity and rich, often showing flavours of honey, ripe stone fruit, tropical fruit, citrus, or dried fruit depending on the style.

What types of sweet wine are there?

Sweet wines include lightly sweet styles, rich dessert wines, sweet sparkling wines, sweet reds, and fortified wines such as Port and Sherry.

Is sweet wine always a dessert wine?

No. While many sweet wines are enjoyed with dessert, some are also served as aperitifs or paired with cheese, spicy dishes, or savoury food.

What food pairs well with sweet wine?

Sweet wine pairs well with desserts, blue cheese, pâté, fruit-based dishes, and rich or spicy foods depending on the level of sweetness and acidity.

Is sweet wine stronger than regular wine?

Not always. Some sweet wines are low in alcohol, while fortified sweet wines like Port or Sherry can be stronger due to added spirit.