A List Of Some Of The Sweetest Wines and What Foods They Pair Best With
The subjective sweetness of a wine is determined by the interaction of several factors, including the amount of sugar in the wine, but also the relative levels of alcohol, acids, and tannins. Sugars and alcohol enhance a wine's sweetness; acids (sourness) and bitter tannins counteract it.
"Some of the greatest dessert wines in the world, Port being one of them, get their sweetness from fortification. Simply put, fortification is the process of adding a distilled spirit, generally brandy, to the base wine; at what point the distilled spirit is added will determine the effect. Notable examples of fortified wines include Port, Madeira, Sherry, and vin doux naturels, specifically Banyuls, Rivesaltes, and Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise.
When the distilled spirit is added before fermentation is finished, the high alcohol in the distilled spirit will kill the fermenting yeast in the base wine, leaving behind unfermented residual sugar. (Port is an example of wine that undergoes fortification prior to fermentation being complete.) However, keep in mind that not all fortified wines are sweet. In Sherry production, for example, the distilled spirit is added toward the end of fermentation, resulting in a drier product."
Check out this list of some of the sweetest wine varieties:
-- RED WINE --
1- Port
Port is a sweet, red, fortified wine from Portugal. Port is most commonly enjoyed as a dessert wine because it is rich and sweet. There are several styles of Port, including red, white, rosé and an aged style called Tawny Port. While much of the Port we see in the supermarket is of average quality, there are fine Ports that are highly treasured for sipping and can cost several hundred dollars
*Pairs well with dark chocolate truffles, apple crisp, cheesecake, and flan
2- Banyuls
The name Banyuls comes from the coastal town of ‘Banyuls Sur Mer’ in southern France, on the border with Spain. It is recorded the Knights Templar began cultivating grape vines in the region. Banyuls is a Grenache-based fortified wine that has been made since the 13th century. It was a physician, alchemist named Arnaud de Villeneuve (head of the University of Montpellier) who discovered in 1285 the method of ‘mutage’, when he figured out that the fermentation of wine could be halted by adding pure grape spirit, thereby leaving it naturally sweet - ‘the marriage between spirit and wine’. Banyuls wine is allowed to ferment until it has reached about 6% alcohol, then grape spirit is added, raising the alcohol level to about 15 - 16.5%.
*Try it with chocolate, but it can also be useful when pairing desserts that contain berries, toffee and caramel, and coffee.
3- Maury
Maury is a town in northern Roussillon, in the far south of France. Its name is best known as an appellation for the sweet vins doux naturels produced around the town, although in 2011 the separate Maury Sec AOC came into force for dry red wines, prompted by recognition that a local wine industry based entirely on fortified wine was too narrowly focused.
The wines come in red, rosé and white variants, with the color resulting from the exacting winemaking techniques that are employed. In their youth, these wines are tannic and intensely fruity, but they become more savory and deeply colored as they age.
*Serve this with mixed dry fruit, prunes, dates, tapas, melon, gâteaux, ice cream and sorbets
4- Zinfandel
Considered sweet by many, but is more of a semi-sweet wine, in comparison to other sweet one.
There are many types of Zinfandel; Here's a great guide to the various ones: https://wine...fandel-wine/f
*Tastes great with seafood stews and soups, as well as seared or grilled fish, also aged cheddar and aged gouda
5- Tawny Port
A very sweet barrel-aged port with oxidative nut and caramel flavors, as well as (commonly) raspberry, cinnamon, clove, and fig.
*Pairs well with hard cheeses like cheddar, with nuts and dried fruits
-- WHITE WINES --
1- Moscato
A wine from Italy, Moscato has become incredibly popular for drinking on its own or even as an aperitif because it’s sweet, low in alcohol and incredibly easy to drink. Historically known as a dessert wine, Moscato has a slight fizz and flavors of nectarine, peach and orange that are very pleasing to your taste buds.
*Goes well with salty nuts, soft cheeses like toast cheese or Brie, charcuterie, or antipasto
2- Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer (guh-vertz-tra-meaner) is a cool climate grape with distinctive pink skin. The wine it produces is known for its pungent aromas – lychee and roses in particular.
Indeed, Gewürztraminer is one of the most aromatic white wines out there. It also tends to be fuller-bodied and higher in alcohol than most other white wines, with a honeyed richness that can be overwhelming.
*Pair this with fruit tarts and creamy blue cheeses.
3- Late Harvest White Wines
Late harvest wine is just as it wounds: Wine made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual. Late harvest is usually an indication of a sweet dessert wine, such as late harvest Riesling. Late harvest grapes are often more similar to raisins, but have been naturally dehydrated while on the vine.
*Tastes delicious with warm brioche and crème brûlée
4- Ice Wine
The secret to ice wine is processing frozen grapes at around 20 ºF (-7º C). The frozen grapes are brought into the winery where they are transferred–thousands of hard, icy marbles–into a grape crusher and then into a grape press. Many heritage grape presses have broken under the pressure of attempting to press the concentrated grape sugar syrup out of frozen grapes. Only about 10–20% of the liquid in these frozen grapes is used for ice wine and because the juice is so sweet (anywhere from ~32–46 Brix), it can take anywhere from 3–6 months–a long, slow, finicky fermentation–to make ice wine. When it’s all done, wines have around 10% ABV and a range of sweetness from around 160–220 g
*Pairs well with hard, aged cheese (parmesan and gruyere), toasted salted nuts, tuna sashimi
5- Auslese Reisling
Auslese has a literal meaning of, "selected harvest"
The grapes are picked from selected very ripe bunches in the autumn (late November-early December), and have to be hand-picked. Generally Auslese wine can be made in only the best harvest years that have been sufficiently warm. A small proportion of the grapes may be affected by noble rot in some regions although this never dominates the character of the wine
*Goes best with dishes that combine sweet and savory flavors like caramel corn, monte Cristo, and chicken and waffles
6- Sauternes
Sauternes (pronounced saw-turn) might be the most expensive dessert you ever order. This Noble rot affected wine is one of the lushest, most delectable sweet wines available, but it’s not cheap to produce.
Sauternes is an Old World wine, so it’s named after its area of origin, the Sauternais region of the Graves area in Bordeaux. Sauternes is comprised of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes. While Noble rot usually isn’t easy to come by, the climate where Sauternes is grown allows the benevolent fungus to do its magic more often than not. However, harvests still var
*Pair this with soft cheese, blue cheese, fruit tarts and other fruit-based desserts
-- Desserts, Made From Wine! --
*Though we know the idea of ‘Leftover wine’ might be an unfamiliar one, sometimes there’s a bunch of half bottles that are about to expire (say, after a party).
Check out these delicious dessert recipes that use leftover wine in an interesting way:
https://vine...eftover-wine/
In our studio, we have wines that range from light and sweet to heavy and bold-flavored. White and reds, blends, and sparkling wine… and even some beer for the non-wine drinkers.
You can check out our menu, but do keep in mind that we change our varieties from time to time, to try out new and delicious wines! We try and keep a similar type of wine for each one that we have not he menu; If we’re not currently serving the specific table of Moscato or Red Blend that’s listed on the menu, we’ll have another type that matches the favor profile, very well!
View our menu: https://www..../tusinbarmenu
*We do always keep an assortment of sweet wines at the bar, however! Our Moscato and Rosé wines are among our most popular, by far! Our customers LOVE some sweet wine, and with good reason! It’s a dessert that gets you tipsy! Double the fun! :)
Come in and paint with us as you sip some delicious wines, sweet or not, and have a whole lot of fun!
Check out some of the fabulous paintings on the calendar for the month:
https://www....cialpaintings
Be sure to come in for some of our Halloween themed paintings, too! Make some festive decorations for your home, and even paint in the DARK in one of our black light classes:
https://www....acularclasses
We hope to see you soon for a painting and wine class, whether you’re coming in to try your hand at painting or just interested intruding some delicious wine! If you live in Tustin, we’re right around the corner from you, located in 'The District’, a great shopping center and entertainment hub in Orange County! We make the perfect event for everything from a fun and unique date night, an awesome girls’ night out experience, and we even offer private events! When you view our classes on our website, you’ll be viewing our schedule for our public classes, but you can also book a painting party with the guest list of your choice! Come in to celebrate a birthday, bridal shower, reunion, retirement, and more with friends and family, sharing their artistic sides, together. Make memories that will last a lifetime with a souvenir to treasure forever with one our classes.
*Learn more about our private parties, here:
https://www....ivate-parties
We also play host to some great corporate events, too! Why not book your next work party or team building event with us? We offer several styles of paintings that incorporate team building strategies, encouraging the whole office to work together, creating a stunning world of art!
*Read more about corporate events, here:
https://www....porate-events
*Keep us in mind for an off-site event like a child’s birthday party or other private, mobile event. Check out our site to learn more about out these private parties!
Cheers!
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