Santorini’s red sweetness

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Santorini is not only known for its white-blue postcard idylls, but also for the Vinsanto, a sweet wine from the white grapes Assyrtiko, Aidani and Athiri. Less known, however, is a red sweet wine of Santorini, made purely from the variety Mandilaria. A wine of this type, the Apiliotis from the Domaine Sigalas, Alex had brought as a gift from his original home, when he was our guest for dinner together with his wife and children.

Both … Read more ...

Vin de Paille from Côtes du Jura

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On the western foothills of the Massif de Jura, along the road N 83, there is, in an altitude of about 200 to 400 meters, the approximately 650 hectares large wine-growing area Côtes du Jura. In a semi-continental, rather cool and with about 1100 mm annual precipitation also rather wet climate, there are produced about 25,000 hectoliters of wine per year, mainly (~ 2/3) white wine, the rest red wine, Vin Jaune and also about 550 hectoliters of Vin … Read more ...

Spanish Mistela – Floralis Moscatel

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“We would like to introduce you to the Floralis Moscatel Oro sweet wine from the winery from Torres and at the same time arranged the dispatch of a product sample,” was written in the mail of an agency. In addition there was an attachment with informations about region, wine and winery. At that time I was in the process of working out more informations about Spanish sweet wines and therefore this wine was ok for me.. From the enclosed information … Read more ...

Matured sweet wines – fresh and youthful

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Hans had already opened some excellent wines to the excellent French dinner, including, for example, a 2013 Chevalier Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive and a 2005 Le Pavillon from Chapoutier. For cheese and dessert he had selected matured sweet wines, from German predicates such as Spätlese on Vin Doux Naturel to Madeira – all excellent.

1994 Niederhäuser Herrmannshöhle Spätlese, Dönnhoff
Quince, pear and white peach on the nose, delicately smoky. Very fresh on the palate, prominent acidity, mild fruit, juicy, lean, … Read more ...

Rheingau Riesling – Auslese with fruity acidity

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In the Rheingau, the Rhine flows mostly from east to west, so that most of the vines grow on south-facing slopes, in the only a few kilometers wide wine growing area north of the river. Protected by the Taunus from cold north winds, the grapes thrive in a climate with warm, low-precipitation summers and mild winters, as well as the temperature and moisture-regulating effects of the Rhine. With a share of 80% Riesling is the key grape veriety of … Read more ...

Grand Cru from the Loire – Quarts de Chaume

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Weinyard at the Loire © Pixabay

Château Bellerive cultivates twelve hectares of Chenin Blanc-planted vineyards in the commune of Rochefort-sur-Loire. Part of this community is located in the 54-hectares Quarts de Chaume appellation, which is also part of the nearly 3400 hectares AOC Coteaux du Layon.

Quarts de Chaume wines,- concentrated, expressive and extremely long-lived -, have the status Grand Cru, which can also be labeled on the label – the wines of the Coteaux du Layon appellation may only be labeled Premier Cru.
The Grand Cru status is due not only to the very low yield of 20 hectoliters per hectare, but also to the location. The vineyards in Quarts

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Auslese Gold Capsule by J.J. Pruem – High End Class

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Gold capsule is the name given to the gold-colored bottle enclosure, which is used primarily in the wine regions Mosel and Rheingau to identify particularly high-quality sweet wines. A superlative of it is in addition the Lange Goldkapsel (long gold-coloured enclosure), sometimes abbreviated LGK. Usually there are only small amounts of these sweet qualities, which often are not traded, but only available at auctions.

Also the winery J.J. Pruem, one of the most renowned wineries in Germany, usually … Read more ...

Vouvray moelleux – pure balance

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© Pixabay

The Loire is known for its castles, unspoiled nature and the longest wine route in France. At the Loire you can find such well-known names as Muscadet, Sancerre or even Vouvray. Around the small town Vouvray and seven other neighboring communities, the eponymous wine-growing area extends in the Loire Valley east of Tours.

The vineyards are located on slopes made of tuff limestone, the top layer consists of flint clay or clay sand. The Vouvray is made in different styles from Chenin Blanc, whereby also a share of 5% Orbois Blanc is possible. Chenin Blanc is a grape variety with high-acid that produces very long-lasting wines in Vouvray.

Vouvray is produced both as sparkling wine and still wine. The still wines are dry (sec), semi-dry (demi-sec), sweet (moelleux) or noble sweet, (liquoreux). Only for dry wines, however, it is mandatory to mark this with the indication sec. For the more or less sweet variants, this obligation does not exist, but for many wines, especially sweet wines, this information can be

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Mosel Riesling 2016 – Fruity elegance

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Bernkasteler vineyards (at the upper edge from the village from right to left: Doctor, Graben and Lay) © Pixabay

Maximilian Ferger‘s passion for wine becomes clear if listening to him, the enologist and manager of the renowned winery Wwe. H. Thanisch – Erben Mueller-Burggraef, when he is speaking about his work in the vineyards and in wine cellar.
Talking with him about Riesling and Pinot Noir on the phone, I had the impression that he speaks of the vines as his children. Just as you give children the best you can, in any case, he wants the best for his vines. In doing so, he pursues an ecologically oriented, sustainable path, which also includes the renunciation of herbicides and botryzides – a path that will soon be completed

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Tokaji – Hungary’s sweet miracles

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Zoltan Sánta, member of the board of the Weinakademiker had brought with him mainly dry Hungarian wines to the tasting beginning of October in the Munich cork wine bar, but at least four sweet wines from Tokaj. There are 134 grape varieties in Hungary, but only six of them are approved for the production of sweet Tokaji: Furmint, Hárslevelû, Sárga Muskotály, Zéta, Kövérszőlõ and Kabar.

The vineyards in the Tokaj are predominantly on mineral soils of volcanic … Read more ...

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