All about sweet wines

Malvasia – Aromas from Sicily

12. May 20198. May 2019 by Karl-Heinz Datum

There are more than 20 different varieties of Malvasia – white, red and reddish, the last called gris or pink. In Sicily and its islands, the two varieties Malvasia Bianca Siciliana and Malvasia delle Lipari are the most common. The Malvasia Terre Sicilia Vino Liquoroso IGP of Cantine Pellegrino, which we have tasted, is produced to 100% with Malvasia Bianca. The grapes for the wine originate from vines that grow in the province of Trapani, from sea level up to 300 meters above sea level, on sandy and partly clayey soils.

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Recioto di Soave from volcanic soil

24. April 201922. April 2019 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Recioto is a typical term in the northern Italian Veneto, used for a wine produced from rosinated grapes – in the remaining areas of Italy, such a wine is called Passito. The name Recioto goes back to the local dialect which names the external grapes of the vine as Recie, which at least in earlier times, exclusively were used to produce this kind of sweet wine.

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Multiple varied Vin Doux Naturel

29. August 20192. April 2019 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Hans had invited to a wine tasting and announced to offer only one or two small courses – however, there were much more courses. Hans just returned from a journey through Roussillon and the Rhone Valley, where he had bought a variety of Vin Doux Naturel. For the dessert, a chocolate cake with honey olive jelly, he opened some of them.

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South Tyrol – feinherb to sweet

20. March 201918. March 2019 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Around 70% of South Tyrolean wines are produced by cooperatives, which belong to the pioneers of quality development. At this year’s wine trip to South Tyrol, the Winery Bolzano was on our visit program. The new construction of the winery has not only caused a stir architecturally. With around 40 million €, this is the most expensive investment in the wine sector in South Tyrol so far. 220 members of the cooperative are growing vines around Bolzano and manage about 350 hectares of vineyards, which are between 200 and 900 meters altitude. The winery is well known for its Lagrein and St. Magdalener wines, but it also offers many … Read more ...

Macvin – Tradition of the French Jura

23. May 20195. March 2019 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Macvin Blanc du Jura Château d'Arlay

The name Macvin is more reminiscent of Scotland than the French wine-growing region of Jura, where the Macvin production has a long tradition. It is said that there has been a wine named Maquevin or Marc-vin already in the ninth century. The name Marc-vin indicates that Macvin consists of the french brandy Marc and wine, which means that it is a alcohol-fortified wine.

However, this is only partially true, because the Macvin is made from must according to the AOP rules. This does not exclude that the must already may have started fermentation. The Macvin may be red, rosé or white. In the red and rosé versions, only the … Read more ...

Australian Semillon – “Special sale dessert wine”

17. February 201917. February 2019 by Karl-Heinz Datum

The winery De Bortoli was founded 90 years ago by Vittorio De Bortoli, who emigrated from the Italian Treviso to Australia. The winery became known beyond Australia only in the 1980 years with the Noble One Botrytis Semillon, produced in the family-owned winery Bibul in Riverina. Today, the De Bortoli family own wineries with around 820 hectares of vineyards in the Heathcote, Hunter Valley, King Valley, Riverina, Rutherglen and Yarra Valley.

The tasted wine, the Family Reserve Semillon 2016 by De Bortoli, I had discovered at Aldi as an special sale gourmet wine for Christmas and taken away. The Semillon variety, the backbone of Sauternes, … Read more ...

Matured by the Foehn – Jurançon

5. February 20193. February 2019 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Around 1,500 km separate the foothills of the Alps south of Munich and Jurançon in France, but despite this distance, both have a climatic similarity: the Foehn, a dry warm wind from the mountains, always blowing from the south. In wine-growing areas north of the Alps, in the autumn, the grapes intended for the production of a sweet wine can dry and rosinate in the vineyard on the vine, naturally concentrating the sugars. A well-known example of a sweet wine that benefits from the Foehn is a Flétri from Valais.

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Port wine from Cima Corgo

3. February 201919. January 2019 by Karl-Heinz Datum

At the Forum Vini, in November 2018 in Munich there were a lot of dry wines but also some sweet wines like port wine. I tasted two port wines, a Magalhães LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) 2013 of Quinta do Silval and a 10 Years Tawny Port by Vieira de Sousa.

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Elysium Black Muscat – Californian Scent of Heaven

20. January 20198. January 2019 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Black Muscat: never heard of it – but maybe already eaten? Muscat Hamburg, as the grape is called in Great Britain, is used in many countries mainly as a table grape, because of its ability to survive long transport routes very well.

But there are also dry wines of Muscat Hamburg , such as in Eastern Europe or Württemberg. Dessert wines are also produced in Württemberg as well as in California, where exists more than 100 hectares of Black Muscat vines, almost exclusively owned by the Quady Winery. The winery of the Quady brothers specializes in dessert, aperitif and Muscat wines, as well as vermouth and port-like … Read more ...

E.T.s Ruster Icewine

21. January 201922. December 2018 by Karl-Heinz Datum

Rust is known for his outbreak, his storks and the legendary Blaufränkisch Mariental 1986 by Ernst Triebaumer, who was the winner in three of the most important world wide red wine competitions and so significantly contributed making the Blaufränkisch internationally known.

In Rust, wine is cultivated on different soils. There are crystalline rock, sediments of shell limestone, clay, gravel and also loess. The wines around Rust flourish in an climate, which is protected by the Leithagebirge west from the westerly winds and is also significantly influenced by the water surfaces of the eastern Neusiedlersee. Despite this climate, some winters are cold enough to produce ice wine, though not … Read more ...

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