![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
26/6/08 10:09 - Fav sweet wines - short guide
Sweet wines aren't connoisseurs' favourites, but I buy and drink them whenever there is a good occasion. I have put together this "guide" for anyone who would like to try something new. I have helped myself with few Internet resources to find details about each wine I like.
Fortified wines contains higher alcohol level and additional sweetness, which is obtained by adding brandy during fermentation process.
So, here it goes - my personal favs in random order:
Màlaga - famous wine from Màlaga in Spain made from Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel grapes. There are dry options on the market, but most popular wine is very dark, strong , sweet Màlaga Dulce or less interesting (imo), a little sour Màlaga Cream. Designation depends on the ageing time. In this region few other good, sweet wines are produced as well: Pedro Ximénez, Moscatel and sweet, dark Lacrimae Christi. Great wines are produced in Montilla-Moriles and Condado (both DdO) - however I haven't try these yet.
Sherry - Spain's most famous and - if what wine writers say is true - most underestimated wine. Sherry is a fortified wine produced in Jerez from Palomino grapes and it is made using an unique method called "solera".There are few styles of sherry, the sweet varieties are called Jerez/Sherry Dulce and it's made with dry Sherry sweetened with Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel wine. Cheaper and easier to obtain sweet wine is called Cream Sherry. Sherry should be served chilled in a special glass called copita or with ice cubes in large glass. It is my current favourite.
Madeira - great fortified wine from Portugal's Madeira Islands. There are few grapes varieties used : Malvasia, Boal, Verdelho, Sercial - and these also name main types of Madeira wine. Wine is produced in special buildings "estufas" which duplicate "the effect of a long sea voyage of the ageing barrels through tropical climates" - and the whole method of hastening the maturation is unique for this wine. I got it only once but I have unopened bottle in Warsaw for this summer :-)
Marsala - produced in the Sicilian city of Marsala, Italy. It is again, a fortified wine, and the produce process is similar to solera system (called "in perpetuum"). The grape varieties are mainly Grillo, Inzolia, and Catarratto. It can be strong wine (around 20%) and it is served chilled or at room temperature (as a dessert wine). Designation depends on the ageing time. Other Italian sweet wines I need to try are: Sicilian Passito di Pantelleria and Caluso Passito from Piedmont.
Porto - fantastic Portuguese wine from famous Douro Valley. More than 80 different grape varieties are authorized for the production of port, but "the main ones are Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Francesa, and Touriga Nacional". As for many fortified wines, the distilled grape spirits is added in port making process.It is strong, sweet and heavy wine which is divided into two categories: a) matured in sealed tanks or bottles, with no exposure to air b) matured in wooden barrels with some of air allowed - "oxidative" ageing. There are several port varieties : Tawny port, Garrafeira, Vintage port, Ruby port - the last one is the cheapest which can often be found in the stores. Port is produced outside Portugal as well, but only these from Portugal can be labeled "Porto" or "Vinho do Porto".
Kadarka - both grape and wine - I can't explain why exactly I love sweet wines made from kadarka grape, but it's not only pleasant taste but also specific character. Most likely Albanian variety, very popular in Hungary where it is used to create wildly known Egri Bikavér. The sad story of all Balkans' wines is that despite the long history they do not play a major role in the international wine market. I was surprised to find out that although these' wines are mentioned (yet rare) their sweet varieties are completely unknown. Anyway best kadarka is grown in Szekszárd and Villány wine regions of Hungary and Kadarka wine is mainly produced in Bulgaria where it is known as Gamza.
Muscat - Muscat is name both for a grape variety cultivated in Portugal and Spain and sweet dessert wines which I love because of their honeyed flavours (French vins doux naturels for example) . Muscat grapes are used to make Moscatel / Muscatel wines (which includes Malaga and Madeira). In Italy Muscat is called Moscato and so is the sweet wine like Moscato d'Asti. Currently I look for Moscatels from Portugal to taste: Moscatel de Setubal and Moscatel de Favaios. (What can be a little confusing is that there is wine called Muscadet but this is a type of white, dry wine from France).
Tokaji Aszú - this is brand that should sound familiar, as Tokaj used to be one of the few luxuries in times of CCCP. This name is reserved for the wines from Tokaj-Hegyalja region of Hungary but also "Tokaj" wine is produced in Slovakia. "Noble rot" - partial drying process caused by grey fungus - takes important part of the wine production. The grapes officially approved for production are : Furmint, Hárslevelű, Sárgamuskotály, Zéta, Kövérszőlő and Kabar (which is my great-grandma's surname o.o). Another wine to mention is Eszencia, which is "juice of aszú berries which runs off naturally from the vats in which they are collected during harvesting". It is traditionally added to aszú wines but also it can be fermented and bottled. There are few sweet wines from the Hungary known as késői szüretelésű ("late harvest") and these labelled "tokaji cuvée" (not AC but often of high quality).
Vin Santo - which translates as "holy vine" is favourite dessert wine from Italy, Tuscany region. Deep golden in colour and sweet is traditionally served with delicious almond or hazelnut biscuits (cantucci biscuits), which are dipped in the wine. The Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes are dried before pressing and Vin Santo is aged few years in cigar-shaped barrels called "caratelli".
Umeshu - I have decided to include umeshu in this "guide", because it is often called "plum wine". It is 10-15% liqueur made from ume fruit, shochu and sugar, popular in Japan and Korea. I am big fan of umeshu, it is smooth, delicate, and has wonderful, unique, sweet taste. This is the only spirit I successfully make at home at the end of the summer. It can be served on the rocks and I often slip it chilled from sake cup :> Takara and Choya are favourites.
No Greek wine on this list, but it is fair to say that I love Retsina (however it' is dry), no matter how much it is ignored in wine world. And there is sweet wine called Passito from Pantelleria Island to try yet.
Fortified wines contains higher alcohol level and additional sweetness, which is obtained by adding brandy during fermentation process.
So, here it goes - my personal favs in random order:
Màlaga - famous wine from Màlaga in Spain made from Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel grapes. There are dry options on the market, but most popular wine is very dark, strong , sweet Màlaga Dulce or less interesting (imo), a little sour Màlaga Cream. Designation depends on the ageing time. In this region few other good, sweet wines are produced as well: Pedro Ximénez, Moscatel and sweet, dark Lacrimae Christi. Great wines are produced in Montilla-Moriles and Condado (both DdO) - however I haven't try these yet.
Sherry - Spain's most famous and - if what wine writers say is true - most underestimated wine. Sherry is a fortified wine produced in Jerez from Palomino grapes and it is made using an unique method called "solera".There are few styles of sherry, the sweet varieties are called Jerez/Sherry Dulce and it's made with dry Sherry sweetened with Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel wine. Cheaper and easier to obtain sweet wine is called Cream Sherry. Sherry should be served chilled in a special glass called copita or with ice cubes in large glass. It is my current favourite.
Madeira - great fortified wine from Portugal's Madeira Islands. There are few grapes varieties used : Malvasia, Boal, Verdelho, Sercial - and these also name main types of Madeira wine. Wine is produced in special buildings "estufas" which duplicate "the effect of a long sea voyage of the ageing barrels through tropical climates" - and the whole method of hastening the maturation is unique for this wine. I got it only once but I have unopened bottle in Warsaw for this summer :-)
Marsala - produced in the Sicilian city of Marsala, Italy. It is again, a fortified wine, and the produce process is similar to solera system (called "in perpetuum"). The grape varieties are mainly Grillo, Inzolia, and Catarratto. It can be strong wine (around 20%) and it is served chilled or at room temperature (as a dessert wine). Designation depends on the ageing time. Other Italian sweet wines I need to try are: Sicilian Passito di Pantelleria and Caluso Passito from Piedmont.
Porto - fantastic Portuguese wine from famous Douro Valley. More than 80 different grape varieties are authorized for the production of port, but "the main ones are Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Francesa, and Touriga Nacional". As for many fortified wines, the distilled grape spirits is added in port making process.It is strong, sweet and heavy wine which is divided into two categories: a) matured in sealed tanks or bottles, with no exposure to air b) matured in wooden barrels with some of air allowed - "oxidative" ageing. There are several port varieties : Tawny port, Garrafeira, Vintage port, Ruby port - the last one is the cheapest which can often be found in the stores. Port is produced outside Portugal as well, but only these from Portugal can be labeled "Porto" or "Vinho do Porto".
Kadarka - both grape and wine - I can't explain why exactly I love sweet wines made from kadarka grape, but it's not only pleasant taste but also specific character. Most likely Albanian variety, very popular in Hungary where it is used to create wildly known Egri Bikavér. The sad story of all Balkans' wines is that despite the long history they do not play a major role in the international wine market. I was surprised to find out that although these' wines are mentioned (yet rare) their sweet varieties are completely unknown. Anyway best kadarka is grown in Szekszárd and Villány wine regions of Hungary and Kadarka wine is mainly produced in Bulgaria where it is known as Gamza.
Muscat - Muscat is name both for a grape variety cultivated in Portugal and Spain and sweet dessert wines which I love because of their honeyed flavours (French vins doux naturels for example) . Muscat grapes are used to make Moscatel / Muscatel wines (which includes Malaga and Madeira). In Italy Muscat is called Moscato and so is the sweet wine like Moscato d'Asti. Currently I look for Moscatels from Portugal to taste: Moscatel de Setubal and Moscatel de Favaios. (What can be a little confusing is that there is wine called Muscadet but this is a type of white, dry wine from France).
Tokaji Aszú - this is brand that should sound familiar, as Tokaj used to be one of the few luxuries in times of CCCP. This name is reserved for the wines from Tokaj-Hegyalja region of Hungary but also "Tokaj" wine is produced in Slovakia. "Noble rot" - partial drying process caused by grey fungus - takes important part of the wine production. The grapes officially approved for production are : Furmint, Hárslevelű, Sárgamuskotály, Zéta, Kövérszőlő and Kabar (which is my great-grandma's surname o.o). Another wine to mention is Eszencia, which is "juice of aszú berries which runs off naturally from the vats in which they are collected during harvesting". It is traditionally added to aszú wines but also it can be fermented and bottled. There are few sweet wines from the Hungary known as késői szüretelésű ("late harvest") and these labelled "tokaji cuvée" (not AC but often of high quality).
Vin Santo - which translates as "holy vine" is favourite dessert wine from Italy, Tuscany region. Deep golden in colour and sweet is traditionally served with delicious almond or hazelnut biscuits (cantucci biscuits), which are dipped in the wine. The Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes are dried before pressing and Vin Santo is aged few years in cigar-shaped barrels called "caratelli".
Umeshu - I have decided to include umeshu in this "guide", because it is often called "plum wine". It is 10-15% liqueur made from ume fruit, shochu and sugar, popular in Japan and Korea. I am big fan of umeshu, it is smooth, delicate, and has wonderful, unique, sweet taste. This is the only spirit I successfully make at home at the end of the summer. It can be served on the rocks and I often slip it chilled from sake cup :> Takara and Choya are favourites.
No Greek wine on this list, but it is fair to say that I love Retsina (however it' is dry), no matter how much it is ignored in wine world. And there is sweet wine called Passito from Pantelleria Island to try yet.