All about sweet wines

Knipser’s Petit Doux

8. July 20261. June 2026 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Vineyard hut in the Palatinate; **Deutsches Weininstitut** *© www.deutscheweine.de*

First of all: The Petit Doux is by no means a “small” (light or minor) sweet wine, as the name might suggest. The “Petit” refers to the name of the grape variety—Petit Manseng. This is a variety used to produce outstanding sweet wines in southwestern France, primarily in the Jurançon and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh appellations. Thanks to its small, loose clusters and small, thick-skinned berries, the variety is not only highly resistant to botrytis but also capable of concentrating sugar within the berries while retaining high acidity—

Minty-Fresh Beerenauslese from the Leithaberg

17. May 20269. March 2026 by Karl-Heinz Datum

View of Jois and Leithaberg © ÖWM / WSNA

Located to the west of Lake Neusiedl and the Leitha Mountains, Jois lies in the northern part of the wine-growing region of the same name—a region that extends southward as far as Mörbisch, at the southern end of Lake Neusiedl. It is in Jois that one finds the Martin Pasler Winery, whose Beerenauslese we tasted. Established in the 17th century, the winery has been managed by Martin Pasler since 1994—and has been farmed organically since the year 2000.

Tschida’s TBA from Sämling 88

17. May 202611. February 2026 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Harvesting Reed Wine at Weingut Angerhof Tschida © Gregor Schiefer

For the 11th time, Hans Tschida of ⁄ was named “Sweet Winemaker of the Year” in the autumn of 2025.

Fresh – fruity Moscato from Liguria

18. May 202610. January 2026 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Sweet Muscat wines, produced from a wide variety of Muscat grape varieties, can be found in many different styles throughout Italy. Sweet wines crafted from Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) are found in only about half of Italy’s wine-growing regions—and even then, usually in just a single DOC. We tasted a sweet Muscat wine from Liguria: the 2024

Wine with drinkability – Schäfer-Fröhlich’s Felseneck Kabinett

30. December 202526. September 2025 by Karl-Heinz Datum

The Schäfer-Fröhlich winery is known for its philosophy focused on origin and terroir. Tim Fröhlich strives for wines that possess finesse, elegance, and a clear expression of their place of origin, and is convinced that Riesling is best able to reflect this.

Riesling Auslese Goldloch with a fantastic finish

30. December 202527. August 2025 by Karl-Heinz Datum

The Riesling Kabinett Dorsheimer Pittermännchen 2021 from Schlossgut Diel, which we tasted three years ago, was excellent. This time, we tasted a Riesling Auslese 2023 from the winery’s Dorsheimer Goldloch vineyard. Although the two vineyards border each other, the grapes thrive on different soils. While slate is the dominant characteristic of the Pittermännchen vineyard, the spicy, often slightly smoky nose of the Goldloch vineyard is likely due to the bedrock beneath the heavily gravelly loam soils. With a slope of up to 55%, the vineyard demands a high level of work. On the other hand, this incline, combined with the south to southwest exposure of the vineyard, ensures excellent sun exposure, which promotes ripening.

Dr. Hermann’s Top Selection – Old Vines from the Erdener Prälat

16. May 202630. June 2025 by Karl-Heinz Datum

© lapping on Pixabay, View of Ürzig vineyards and Erdener Prälat, as well as the village of Erden

With a slope of around 65 degrees, the Erdener Prälat is one of the steepest vineyards in Germany. The site also boasts an exceptionally high proportion of old, ungrafted Riesling vines. Thanks to its southern exposure in the Moselle loop and the heat-retaining rocks, the site enjoys a very warm microclimate, from which the vines benefit. The red slate soil also contributes to the complexity of these top-quality Rieslings. We tasted one of these examples, the 2022 Riesling Auslese Erdener Prälat Alte Reben from the Dr. Hermann winery.

Pollios Oinos – Sweet Wine from Thracian Amphorae

26. December 202525. April 2025 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Klaus gave me the sweet wine, which he has as always carefully selected to match the dessert, – just as he had done on our last visit. This time: a Greek sweet wine from the 2014 vintage, called Pollios Oinos, produced by the Anatolikos Vineyards winery. This winery, which continues a program begun in 2000 to revive a famous ancient vineyard, was founded in 2005 in the Thracian town of Avdira.

The organically certified winery is run by the two brothers Marios and Sakis Nikolaidis.

Croatian Ice Wine from Gewurztraminer

25. December 20256. April 2025 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Danube near Erdut byJan Pešula – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Traminac Mirisavi Ledena Berba 2012 from the Erdut winery, which we tasted, was a gift from our good friend Babs, who moved to Croatia for love a little over 30 years ago and still lives near Zagreb.

Charming Auslese from Puenderich

2. June 202515. March 2025 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Riesling plays a very important role in German sweet wine. For me, Riesling Auslese wines from the Mosel region are definitely among the best. This time, we tasted the Riesling Auslese Pündericher Marienburg Fahrlay 2017 from the Clemens Busch winery. The Busch winery in Pünderich on the Mosel, represented by Rita and Clemens Busch and their son Johannes, cultivates around 20 hectares of vineyards. Most of these belong to the Grand Cru Marienburg, with a smaller portion belonging to the neighbouring Premier Cru Nonnengarten. Riesling is the dominant variety, accounting for 99% of the vineyard.

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