Dessert wine is sweet. There’s a “duh” moment for you, but how does it get sweet? You would be very surprised about the many trivial, labor intensive ways dessert wine can be made. In my opinion, dessert wines that depend on nature and a keen eye are the best in the world. Without the caress of Mother Nature’s hand and passion of the wine maker, the uniqueness is lost. Here is a list of some of my favorite dessert wines and how they get the breath of life.
Sauternes! Now here is a dessert wine largely overlooked in the states. Mostly because it is French, thus leading to a complicated label on top of being a rare wine…hence overlooked. This wine owes its name to Botrytis Cinerea. Yes, a fungus; a creepy little fungus that pervades on grapes in only very rare parts of the world. Sauternes is one of them.
Although Sauternes is the name of the dessert wine it is also a place. It is located in the Graves section of Bordeaux, France and is typically a blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes. When Botrytis (also referred to as Noble Rot) takes over it dries out the grape and causes the water in the pulp to evaporate. What is left is a concentration of sweet, sugary goodness, but never, ever a syrupy badness. The Noble Rot creates a perfect balance of sweetness and zesty acidity. You’ll find flavors of honey, peach, apricot and a slight mustiness. These flavors resonate on the palate and for once keep you in the present and let you look into the future…these wine can keep for up to 100 years unopened and properly stored.
This process of wine making and rare Mother Nature occurrence is seen throughout the world, such as South Africa with the grape Chenin Blanc and Germany with the grape Riesling. Many of the grapes are hand selected with precision. This is very mush the case in Germany where hand chosen grapes must be picked a precise moment in time. Like holding your breath for that perfect kiss or as I would like…the last matching lottery number.
Another Dessert wine favorite of mine is found in southern Spain near and around Malaga. There, many vineyards are dedicated to the grape Muscat, aka Muscatel, Muscato, Muskateller and the list does on. Some wine makers will harvest the grapes when they are ripe, lay them out on wooden vats and wait. The sun dries out the grapes similar to what Noble Rot does. The berries that do not dry properly or get mold are removed daily and then you wait more. When all is said and done, oh man, it’s like sipping on heaven. This process (called Ripasso in Italy) is done throughout the world with different grapes and is especially famous in Italy’s Veneto region where it is called Amarone. There, different techniques apply, but the end result is…well you get it.
Last and I can never forget is Porto aka Port. Before I go on I must clear the air and remind all of us that Porto is only from Portugal. It is a fortified red wine, often sweet but can be dry and can be made with white grapes (rare to get in Colorado). The complexities of making port involve aging, the grape varietals used (typically over forty in Porto starting with Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo),Touriga Francesa, and Touriga Nacional) blending, climate and earth. The combination off all these determines its style and flavor. My personal favorites are called Tawny’s. They can be nutty, caramel like and smooth like butta.
Many wineries and wine makers all over the world make different styles of dessert wines in different ways. This is a very short list of my favorites and one that I believe are very unique and special. No one is just adding sugar or syrup. The weather and earth are all taken into account and it’s a big gamble. I did leave out that these wines are kind of expensive, but you only live once. Oh, yeah. I just used a really cheesy saying that is so true.
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