Sweet wines are always accepted at the end of a dinner or dinner. And even those of us who prefer dry, surely will not give up a glass of sweet wine, offered to an air balloon with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a chocolate biscuit with a sauce of wild berries or a cheese plate. It's no secret that sweet fortified grape wine is very popular with our compatriots. After all, sweet wines are not only an excellent accompaniment to desserts, but can calmly replace them by performing in the finale of the solo meal. By the way, from this you can get no less pleasure, most importantly, the wine is right to pick and taste all the tints of taste.
Originally from Porto
Ports are an excellent choice for those who appreciate the rich sweet taste. The native land of these wines is Portugal.
The first port began to be made in the beginning of the XVII century. It was the Portuguese who noticed that mixing grapes of crops from different years and from different vineyards in combination with alcohol makes it possible to get the most amazing bouquet that distinguishes port from all other wines. Vintage wines are aged in oak barrels, and in Portugal - at least ten years. Also, interesting wines such as port make in Australia (usually from the Shiraz variety), South Africa, the USA and Greece.
The perfect dessert
Not less success with women is enjoyed by dessert wines - Muscat, Tokay, and Cahors. Sweet fortified wines from Muscat grapes are made all over the world. They have a characteristic muscat aroma due to the substances contained in the skin of berries and flesh. The cultivation of grapes of such varieties was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. In Australia, muscat wines are very strong and rich. To make them so, the grapes are left on the vine until it wilt. Thus, the concentration of sugar in the juice increases, and after fermentation and fixing in the wine there are many natural sugars. And the wine itself then ripens under the scorching rays of the sun. In Portugal, after fastening the wine is additionally insisted on the grape peel. Sometimes, after maturing in a barrel, it can even acquire a bright orange shade.
Tokaji wines originate from Hungary, more precisely from the south-western foothills of the Carpathians. Here in the course of special grapes - Furmint, Harshevel, Muscat Lunel. The berries are collected overripe, faded. The leading role is played by a special fungus, which, when striking berries, causes so-called "noble" rot. It increases their permeability and promotes evaporation of moisture and thus an increase in the content of sugars.
Cahors are our special pride. And not only because for a very long time they have become our church wine. In France, in their historical homeland, the Cahors are considered a variety of dry wines. Our Cahors is an extremely sweet wine (usually about 160 g / l of sugar). And they prepare it in a special way, using special technology, heating the pulp to 55 - 75 ° C. Vintage Cahors stand in barrels for at least three years. All this leads to the fact that the taste of Cahors is full, velvety, with tones of chocolate and prunes.
Sweet etiquette
Dessert sweet grape wines are good in themselves: the richness of their taste and bouquet allows you to enjoy the beverage without any additions. A small glass of sweet wine after a good dinner is the perfect dessert. But there are generally accepted combinations that will only emphasize the taste and bouquet of wine. For example, a good port can be combined with nuts or hard cheeses like cheddar (in the West, an ideal pair is considered to be styletone cheese). Liqueur, dessert wines can be served to fruits or ice cream. When serving wine for dessert, do not forget to pre-cool it to 14-18 ° C. This is necessary to fully appreciate his taste, otherwise the wine may seem sugary and sugary. Correct wine delivery will make its taste balanced, favorably emphasize its sweetness and set off the taste with a pleasant sourness.
Our first impression of wine is always connected with its visual perception. We enjoy its color, brilliance, transparency. We observe how the wine leaves beautiful, dense "legs" or "tears" on the sides of the glass. The color of sweet wines is always more saturated and thick. In White it varies from golden to dark amber. In red - from ruby to dark garnet. And sometimes (it depends on the age of the wine) has a tinge.
As soon as we bring the glass to the face and take the first breath, immediately note a whole range of flavors. They make a bouquet of wine. And the harder and more vigorous the wine, the more multifaceted will be its bouquet. In order to help him better open up, we gently stir the wine, turning the glass clockwise.
Wines obtained with special technology (sherry, port, Madera), and dessert wines (Cahors, Muscat, Tokaj) all have a sophisticated bouquet that gives a whole palette of aromas and shades.
Ports give aromas of dried fruits, candied fruits and berries, tones of walnuts and almonds, shades of confiture, honey notes. And sometimes nuances of spices.
Muscat. Muscat white - with a thin breath of fresh grapes, thick raisin tones, honey-peach hues and notes of tea rose, acacia and citrus. Muscat black is rich in flavors of prunes, shades of cocoa, thorn tones and chocolate notes.
For Jerez , the flavors of roasted hazelnut or almonds, vanilla-cognac colors and light shades of autumn forest are very characteristic.
Cahors are characterized by the flavors of prunes, cherry or blackcurrant confiture, shades of dark chocolate or coffee beans, notes of vanilla and milk cream.
You can meditate for a long time with a glass of sweet fortified grape wine, enjoying only one of its aromas. But, after taking a sip of wine and holding it in his mouth, we immediately get an impression of his sweetness, acidity, structure, strength. And also we will feel the tone of the bouquet, which revealed in taste. The taste of sweet wines can be characterized as oily, full or velvety. Such wines are often referred to as wine, meaning the weight of wine in the mouth. Imagine the difference in weight between cream and milk. Presented? And now between dry red table wine and, say, Cahors? The latter will just be full-bodied wine. Sensations that remain in the mouth after a sip of wine are called aftertaste. The better the wine, the longer its aftertaste will be.
Bon Appetit!