True wine connoisseurs know the real value of sweet wines, according to a leading expert.

Renowned wine critic Jancis Robinson believes that people who have only a basic understanding of wine often - unfairly - dismiss sweet wines as being unpleasant.

Speaking to the BBC Woman's Hour, she explained that the difficulty stems from the fact that when it comes to sweet wines, price matters.

"Sadly it is difficult to find a really inexpensive sweet wine because you can only make a sweet wine well by getting the grapes really ripe which means usually taking some risks," she explains.

Ms Robinson goes on to add that sweet wines are also made more expensive by producing low yields; this is because the process known as "noble rot" is a delicate one, and can ruin many grapes.

Rachel O'Shea, marketing manager for drinks firm Diageo, believes opinions may be about to change, however, with wine enthusiasts looking to sweeter and lighter wines in 2012.