Karl-Heinz Datum – Page 18 – All about sweet wines

Matured sweet wines from Wachau and Kamptal

29. March 201910. August 2016 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Blick auf Spitz in der Wachau mit Tausendeimerberg — Spitz in the Wachau with view on the Tausendeimerberg

Hans had invited to taste Austrian sweet wines, this time already matured ones, mostly from Riesling. This grape variety does not play the main role in Austrian viticulture, as on the Rhine and its tributaries. However, it is the second most widely cultivated white grape variety in the vineyards located along the Danube, in the Wachau, in Kremstal and Kamptal – but by a long way behind the main vine Grüner Veltliner.

Warm Pannonian eastern air together with a moderate western Antlantic influence, as well as moist cool falling winds from the Waldviertel and Weinviertel

Moscato di Scanzo from Bergamo

30. March 201927. July 2016 by Karl-Heinz Datum

“É un regalo” said Gabriele, when I asked him about the price of the bottle Moscato di Scanzo. In his restaurant Sali e Tabacchi in Maggiana on Lake Como we had celebrated the wedding of a friendly couple this weekend and he had noticed that I had searched in vain for this wine in the surrounding wine shops. Overnight, he organized a Moscato di Scanzo from a winemaker friend. It was from the neighboring community of Scanzorosciate and thus a … Read more ...

Flétri from the Valais

27. December 202326. June 2016 by Karl-Heinz Datum

The Valais, with about 5,200 hectares of vineyards largest wine region in Switzerland, located mainly on the southern slopes of the upper Rhône Valley, offers spectacular, often terraced vineyards and a large variety of indigenous grape varieties. The vines thrive on different types of soil, which include granite, morainic gravel, slate and highly calcareous soils.

With its approximately 2,100 hours of sunshine per year, the low annual average rainfall of less than 600 mm and especially the autumnal warm winds, … Read more ...

Sardinian red sweetness

27. March 201910. June 2016 by Karl-Heinz Datum

In the northeast of Sardinia there is the Gallura, which is a region and a wine-growing area at the same time. Gallura is best known for the Costa Smeralda and the Vermentino di Gallura, Sardinia’s only DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) wine.

About five kilometers from the sea, the Vigne Surrau winery cultivates about 50 hectares of vines in the easternmost part of the Gallura, predominantly Vermentino and Cannonau, but in smaller proportions also Carignano, … Read more ...

Red icewine from the Seewinkl

27. March 201922. May 2016 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Austria has many sweet wines to offer, very well known are those which originate round the Lake Neusiedl. Worldwide recognised are especially the sweet wines of the Seewinkl, located on the southeastern lake side near Hungary. In the southernmost part of the Seewinkel, in Apetlon, the Winery Michael Opitz farms vineyards of seven hectares surrounded by salt lakes and meadows, with a sustainable approach . The microclimate is characterized by cold winters, a rainy spring, dry, hot summers and a … Read more ...

Sweet pearls from Limoux

2. March 202110. May 2016 by Karl-Heinz Datum

As early as 1531, the first mention of a sparkling wine produced in the region around Limoux can be found. The wine-growing area of Limoux is located in the west of the Languedoc around the town of the same name, south of Carcasonne and along the Aude and its tributaries. The vineyards are at altitudes of about 100 to 500 m. The grapes then thrive under a Mediterranean-influenced climate, often on sandstone or limestone and clay. Most common white grape … Read more ...

Commandaria – Legendary from Cyprus

22. January 201921. April 2016 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Commandaria is reminiscent of command – and really, the name goes back to the headquarters of a Crusader order, which was stationated in the region, where the from the ancient world known Cypriot sweet wine Nama was made. End of the 12th century, this headquarter named La Grande Commandarie was the eponym of this wine, which is still known as Commandaria. At that time, the export of Commandaria began to flourish and the fact of being one favorite wines of … Read more ...

Mineral Kabinett – Expressive Late Harvest

30. January 20212. January 2016 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Besides excellent dry wines, Hans seems to store an incredible variety of sweet wines in his very well stocked wine cellar. In addition to Auslese, Beeren- and Trockenbeerenauslese, this also includes Late Harvest and Kabinett. At his last wine tasting, after a nice comparative tasting of the 2008 vintage of the Van Volxem estate wines, he presented us a range of cabinet and late harvest wines. These included the Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett 2005 from the Egon Müller winery and the … Read more ...

“Liquid raisins”: Sherry from PX or Moscatel

14. January 202120. November 2015 by Karl-Heinz Datum

“Like syrup! – Liquid raisins! – Incredibly sweet! ”- this and the like can sometimes be heard when tasting sherry made from Pedro Ximénez (PX) or Moscatel grapes. These Sherries are definitely sweet, as Moscatel sherry must have at least 160 g / l residual sugar – PX sherry even at least 212 g / l. Simple, not very mature specimens can then often be too little complex and such appear “just sweet”.

González-Byass – Sweet Sherry

14. January 202113. October 2015 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Signierte Sherry-Fässer — Signed sherry barrels

A visit to the Bodega Tío Pepe of González-Byass in Jerez de la Frontera is practically a “must” if you are exploring sherry in the sherry triangle between the cities of Jerez, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. A visit to this bodega was also on the agenda of the trip of the wine academy beginning of October this year.