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Sweet wine:
Sweet wines of the world

Trockenbeerenauslese or ice wine? Or would you prefer a Sauternes? How about a Vin Santos or a Vin de Constance? Sweet wines are as seductive as they are diverse. What follows is an overview.

Admittedly, sweet wines are a niche product in the wine world. On the one hand because of their limited availability, but also because of the moderate demand. Especially people who like to drink wine, but only have a superficial knowledge of the subject, hardly have dessert wines, as sweet wines are sometimes called, on their radar. But if you let these people try a sweet wine, they are usually very enthusiastic. If, as a wine merchant, you then also explain which dishes dessert wines go well with, you have usually won over a new sweet wine fan, who is then happy to pay a higher price for such a tempting wine.

It is precisely in such situations that it is helpful to know the differences between individual sweet wines in order to be able to make recommendations to customers with confidence. This is precisely why we have created a compact overview for you.

Sweet wines: Definition and production methods

n most wine laws, the term dessert wine or sweet wine is not clearly defined. However, both terms are generally used worldwide as a synonym for full-bodied wines that have a very pronounced residual sweetness. From country to country, wine law can stipulate certain must weights from which a wine is considered sweet - and can therefore also be called sweet wine. But that's just a side note. The different production methods for dessert wines are much more important:

 

  • Botrytis infestation
  • Grape drying
  • Freezing the grapes
  • Spraying

 
We will now take a closer look at which method works how and for which sweet wines what is used.

Sweet wine from Frozen Grapes

A true rarity is the German Prädikatswein Eiswein. The name says it all, as it is made from frozen grapes. After the harvest, the grapes are left on the vine until the temperature drops to at least -7°C at night. The grapes are then harvested while frozen and immediately brought to the press, where they are squeezed. This process separates the ice from the aromas and sugars. Due to the high sugar content, fermentation starts slowly and stops relatively quickly because the yeast becomes oversaturated and dies. The result is an extremely long-lasting, sweet, and concentrated wine that highlights the purity of the grape variety.

Eisweine are rare because many grapes do not stay on the vine long enough due to animal damage or weather conditions. In addition to Germany, Ice Wines are also produced in Canada, where cryoextraction may be used to simulate the nightly frost in a cooling chamber. 

Eiswein is made from frozen grapes harvested at -7°C, resulting in a sweet, highly concentrated wine.

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Dried grapes for sweet wine production

There are two ways to dry healthy grapes in order to concentrate their sugar content and aromas before pressing. Either the grapes are harvested directly and then dried on reed or straw mats, wire grids or wooden racks. This process is also known as appassimento in the Italian Valpolicella region. Alternatively, the grapes are pinched off by hand on the vine to separate them from the water and nutrients, allowing them to dry on the vine. This process can take up to 100 days. Only then are the grapes pressed.

In France, such wines are called Vin de Paille, while in Italy they are usually called Passito or Ripasso. Particularly well-known sweet wines made from dried grapes in Italy include Vin Santo or Recioto della Valpolicella or Recioto di Soave. In Austria, such dessert wines are known as Strohwein or Schilfwein - depending on the material on which the grapes are dried. And then, of course, there is the Vin de Constance from the South African wine-growing region of Constantia. Incidentally, Vin de Constance was a favorite wine of Napoleon.

 

Botrytis Sweet Wine

Without a doubt, the most famous sweet wines are those produced through Botrytis, also known as noble rot. This fungus infects the grape, causing it to shrivel. The Botrytis enzymes "destroy" the original flavor structure of the grape and transform it into their own nuances. Typical flavors of a wine made from Botrytis-affected grapes include candied fruits, honey, and hints of rum pot. For Botrytis to develop, very specific conditions are required.

The vines, for example, should be planted near a body of water, such as a lake or river. In dry autumn weather, morning fog rises from the water, which wets the grapes. By midday, the sun needs to shine and dry the grapes. This creates the ideal conditions for the development of noble rot. If the grapes remain damp and do not dry, instead of Botrytis, grey rot (Botrytis cinerea) will occur, causing the grapes to spoil. The more the grapes are affected by Botrytis, the higher the sugar content.

Famous Botrytis sweet wines include: Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese from Germany, Sauternes or Barsac from the Bordeaux region in France, as well as Ruster Ausbruch from Austria's Burgenland and Tokaji from Hungary. The Sélection de Grains Nobles from the Alsace region in France is also made through Botrytis.

 

Fortified sweet wine

These dessert wines are also known as liqueur wines. Here, the fermentation of a very sugary must is stopped by adding high-proof alcohol or already fortified must. The yeasts that are still working die as a result. Probably the best-known fortified wines are Spanish sherry and Portuguese port. Málaga from Spain is also very well known. Or Madeira from Portugal.

In France, fortified wines are known under the generic term Vin Doux Naturel. Well-known fortified wines here include Rivesaltes, Banyuls, Maury, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, Muscat de Frontignan and Muscat de Rivesaltes. Mavrodaphne and Samos are fortified sweet wines from Greece. Like Commandaria from Cyprus, they are not very well known internationally. If you would like to treat your customers to something unknown.

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