Italy – All about sweet wines

Sciacchetrà – famous sweet wine of the Cinque Terre

2. June 202522. February 2025 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Vineyards in the Cinque Terre © chuckkent on Pixabay

So far I have not managed to go to the Cinque Terre to experience the region’s famous, often dizzying, wine terraces, created on the steep coast with high dry stone walls. This is mainly because the 12 km long coastal strip of the Ligurian Riviera north of La Spezia is almost chronically overcrowded. The fact that the Cinque Terre is a World Heritage Site and is a national park in its entirety does not make it any easier to find a date when accommodation and restaurants and, above all, wineries are easily accessible.

Marco de Bartoli’s salty Marsala Superiore Oro Riserva

2. June 20253. November 2024 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Among the fortified sweet wines, there are wine styles that are offered in many different types. In addition to the sweet Malaga wine, this also includes Marsala from western Sicily. There are more than thirty different types of Marsala: 4 different qualities, three colors and four categories of residual sugar.

Noans – Friulian meditation wine

2. June 202524. October 2024 by Karl-Heinz Datum

The Friulian DOC Colli orientale, like the DOC Collio, only came into focus in the 1970s, when both entered the wine market with large quantities of cool-fermented, fresh, fruity and aromatic white wines. This was mainly because the wines were made from internationally known varieties, especially Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. In the 1980s, international red wine varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir were increasingly planted in order to better position themselves internationally in the red wine sector.

Tuscan late harvest – Il Muffato

2. June 202516. September 2023 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Landscape near Montepulciano © Hans Bischoff Pixabay

The most common and best-known sweet wine in Tuscany is undoubtedly Vin Santo in all its varieties. According to the production regulations for wines from the IGT Toscana (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), other sweet wines may also be produced. Either a Passito, i.e. a sweet wine made from dried grapes,

Cannellino di Frascati – sweet wine of Lazio

2. June 202520. July 2022 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Villa Aldobrandini Frascati © Narcisse Navarre Pixabay

Who has never heard of Frascati or maybe even drunk it. I knew Frascati from a long time ago, when it was offered almost exclusively in 1 1/2 or 2 liter bottles alongside the red, sweet Lambrusco.When I was looking for sweet wines that I had never tasted before, I came across the Cannellino di Frascati DOCG on the website of a well-known German mail-order wine company. I ordered it, without a moment’s hesitation, because of my acquaintance with the often slightly residual sweet Frascati wines in my late youth.

Kabir – Donnafugata’s Moscato di Pantelleria

2. June 20255. July 2022 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Pantelleria is best known for its capers, which are said to be the best in the world. Belonging geologically to the African continent, the Italian island, also known as the Island of the Winds, is only around 50 km east of Tunisia, but around 100 km south of Sicily.

Marsala – a cooking wine?

2. June 20256. June 2022 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Viticulture near Marsala © Luigi Crosti Pixabay

“Of course” will say whoever searches the Internet for Marsala recipes from Italian websites. Carote al marsala, Risotto agli scampi, marsala e zafferano, Arrosto di maiale al marsala, Tiramisu al marsala – entire Marsala menus can be put together.

Aromatic Moscato Giallo from Tramin

6. December 20216. December 2021 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Vine yards Cantina Tramin © Florian Andergassen

Tramin, located on the Adige south of Bozen, describes itself as the cradle of the Gewürztraminer. There the Cantina Tramin is to be found, a cooperative founded in 1898 by the local priest at the time.

Aleatico Dolce – southern Italy’s fragrant, red sweet wine

19. December 202011. December 2020 by Karl-Heinz Datum

About 20 km northwest of the Apulian Lecce is the small town of Salice Salentino, whose name is known to many, mostly because of its dry red wine, mainly produced from Negroamaro. It has to be be mentioned that the Salice Salentino also is produced pink or white and not only as a cuvée, but also from a single grape variety. The Salice Salentino Aleatico is also available in a sweet version, as well as liqueur wine.

Tal Lùc 2012 by Lis Neris

26. February 202014. February 2020 by Karl-Heinz Datum

On February 3 in Munich, Slow Wine presented , its wine guide of the year 2020, which includes wineries from Italy, California and Oregon. Slow Wine focuses on wines whose regional origin is recognizable and which also take ecological aspects and handcrafted production into account. That doesn’t mean that their taste is secondary.

+ More