Dessert Wine
Dessert Wine
Dessert wine is any wine with high residual sugar, often served in smaller, chilled glasses as a dessert or with a dessert. They typically feature high acidity and high alcohol content, with some being fortified with spirits. They are created by concentrating grape sugars through various methods including noble rot (Botrytis), freezing on the vine (ice wine), late harvesting, or drying grapes (Vin Santo).
See Also
Madeira
Madeira is a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira, famous for being produced under intense heat and oxidation, which makes it exceptionally age worthy.
Brut
Brut is the French term for dry sparkling wine with very low sugar content: specifically less than 12 grams per liter (g/L) of residual sugar.
Dry Wine
A dry wine is a wine that contains very little to no residual sugar, resulting in a flavor profile that lacks sweetness. It is defined by sugar levels (often under 4g/L) and not by mouth drying tannins.
Tawny Port
Tawny Port is a sweet fortified wine from Portugal's Duoro Valley. It is aged in small oak barrels which encourage more oxygen interaction, causing the color to shift from red to brownish amber and creates a caramelized taste.
Port
Port wine is a sweet, fortified wine from Douro Valley, Portugal. It is created by halting the fermentation process early by the addition of brandy, resulting in a rich, high alcohol wine.
Barolo
Barolo is a prestigious, full bodied Italian DOCG red wine from Piedmont, Italy. Made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, it is known as the "King of Wines" and is characterized by high tannins, high acidity and floral aromas.
Prosecco
Prosecco refers to the Italian sparkling white wine which is crafted from at least 85% Glera grapes in Northeast Italy. It is produced using the Charmat (tank) method, typically light, fresh and fruit forward.
Natural Wine
Natural wine is produced with minimal intervention, using organic or biodynamic grapes and little to no additives, synthetic chemicals, preservatives or artificial yeasts. There is no legal definition for natural wine and it is often described as a winemaking philosophy, rather than a strict style.