Dessert wine, red and white, sweet, fortified, grape. Dessert wines: names. Wine Tuesday: vintage dessert white wine “Sunny Valley” Surely there are difficulties with classification, these are the French

Dessert wine is a drink that has a strictly defined focus. Even its name speaks about this.

Rules of application

In life, we often come across products with meaningful names. This is very convenient for two reasons. Firstly, it is always clear what we are talking about. And secondly, there is a guarantee against the possibility of making a mistake in choosing. In fact, dessert wine is not confirmed by any international classification. This concept exists only in Russia. Based on the name itself, it is usually consumed as a dessert or after any dish that is such. Some people mistakenly believe that the prefix “dessert” means serving this product along with some kind of dessert (fruits, sweets, etc.). It's quite the opposite. It must be clearly remembered that dessert wine should never be served with any other dish. This is completely unacceptable. It in itself is a separate dish that does not tolerate any additives. Before using it you must:

1) First cool, preferably to 10-15 degrees.

2) Then pour into a special decanter.

3) And only after that serve it to the table complete with a set of small (“madeira”) glasses.

It is customary to drink this wine in small quantities (no more than 150 milliliters), slowly, enjoying every sip.

Product Feature

In terms of its composition, dessert wine is a product with certain characteristics. This includes anything natural or containing:

sugar - from 2 to 35 percent;
alcohol - from 12 to 17 percent.

At one time, the following wines in this category were produced in the former USSR.

Conventional classification of dessert wines in the USSR:

For such wines, special ones are usually used, and they are collected only when the berries reach their maximum ripeness. At this time, the amount of sugar is extremely high, which is especially important for obtaining a truly tasty drink. In addition, winemakers use various methods of pre-processing raw materials (pulp) to improve the aroma. It is usually heated, infused or slightly fermented. All this allows for a more harmonious combination of taste, color and aroma.

Red wines

Depending on the type of grapes used, dessert wines are divided into white and red. Each of them is unique in its own way. Red dessert wine is usually made from dark grape varieties. These include: Saperavi, Isabella, Cabernet and black Muscat. The finished drink has a rich red color and a pleasant characteristic aroma. This wine is a little thick and quite sweet in taste. The technology of its preparation plays an important role here. Ripe grapes (sometimes even slightly rotten) are harvested at the beginning of winter. After the first frost, the water inside the berries turns into ice and the juice remains as the only liquid fraction. Then the raw materials are crushed. The resulting wort (extracted juice) is fermented and infused on pulp (berry skin) for three to four days. Sometimes, in order to achieve the best taste and color, they use short-term heating of the pulp to 75 degrees. Then it is cooled again and passed through a press, and the wort is left to ferment for 20-30 days. After this, all that remains is to add alcohol and the product can be poured into barrels. The wine is aged in them for at least three years, after which it is packaged in bottles and sent for storage, and then for sale. Among the most famous dessert red wines is Cahors. It is better known as a church drink and is produced at the best factories in Crimea, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Armenia.

White liquid dessert

By analogy, dessert is made from light grape varieties. Otherwise, the process technology remains the same. Passing through all intermediate stages, the raw material gradually turns into an aromatic drink of amber-golden color. The specific taste and aroma of the drink are due to certain grape varieties (Tokay, Muscat). Many of these wines are produced by pre-blending. By mixing completely different wine materials, it becomes possible to obtain a unique taste, desired tone and unique bouquet. This is what distinguishes wines of this category from ordinary table or dry wines. In the CIS, the Massandra association is considered one of the largest enterprises producing such products. They produce white wine: “Kokur”, “Pino Gris”, “Muscat”, “Old Nectar”, “Tokay” and others. They are distinguished by a soft harmonious taste, a characteristic aroma and a delicate, pronounced aftertaste. The wines are aged in oak barrels for at least two years. This time is quite enough to achieve the desired characteristics.

Talking names

Recently, dessert wines have become very popular all over the world. Names usually indicate the type of raw material or the area where a particular product is produced. For example, “Muscat” indicates that a special grape variety called white Muscat was used to prepare the drink. The Bastardo, Kokur and Pedro wines have the same history. But the “Golden Field” wine is named after the state farm, on the territory of which there are vineyards where, among others, the famous Alicant variety grows. It is this that is used as the raw material for this wonderful drink with a pleasant velvety aroma and a light note of chocolate in the taste. In contrast, Tokaj is not only a grape variety, but also a city in Hungary, as well as a region where white wines are produced.

In addition, the name can also be the type of drink. For example, fortified dessert wine products include sherry, port, Marsala and Madeira. Hence the names of many wines: “Crimean Sherry”, “White Port”, “Madera Massandra”. When purchasing such a product in a store, it immediately becomes clear what specific product we are talking about.

Golden mean

Among the rich selection, sweet dessert wines occupy a special place. In the approved classification they occupy an intermediate place between liqueur and semi-sweet wines of dessert quality. This is a fairly energy-intensive product, 100 grams of which contain about 160.2 kilocalories. It contains virtually no fat (0%), and proteins (0.2%) and vitamins in such small quantities that it can not even be taken into account. At the same time, it contains many macro- and microelements, as well as B vitamins. Together with the absence of cholesterol and low sodium content, all this can be attributed to the positive properties of the product. But there are also negative qualities, such as the presence of alcohol and high sugar. All this indicates limiting the use of this product. Many categories of people (patients with diabetes and various gastric disorders) should use it with caution and rarely introduce it into their diet. Some scientists also believe that wine can generally contribute to the development of cancer in the human body.

Alcohol is a product that is used to produce not only vodka, whiskey, cognac, but also various kinds of tinctures and liqueurs. It is also one of the components used by winemakers around the world to make fortified dessert wines. This is a fairly popular type of product. As you know, all fortified wines are divided into strong and dessert drinks. Therefore, any dessert (semi-sweet, sweet or liqueur) wine is, in fact, fortified. This is confirmed by production technology and the mandatory presence of alcohol in the composition. In Russia, such wines began to be made only towards the end of the nineteenth century. Their appearance on the market was a real revolution in the history of domestic winemaking. What does alcohol give to the product? It turns out that its introduction at the stage of wort fermentation can stop the process. As a result, some sugar remains unfermented. Experts have learned to control this phenomenon and produce wines with a predetermined sugar and alcohol content in the finished product.

With your own hands

It turns out that you can make dessert yourself. To do this you will need grapes, sugar, and a little time and patience. The process technology is quite simple:

Sort the bunches of grapes and separate the berries from the branches.
Place the product in a wide bowl, knead it thoroughly and leave in this state at normal room temperature for 4 days.
Squeeze out the fermented product.
Add plain water to the resulting juice (ratio 2:1).
Add sugar there (2.5 kilograms per 10 liters).
Pour the liquid into bottles and put a rubber one on each of them. First, it will inflate very strongly. The product is considered ready when the glove falls off on its own. Now the wine can be filtered and tasted. If there is not enough sugar, then you need to do the following:

1) Pour part of the finished product into a separate container.

2) Heat it slightly and add sugar.

3) Stir until completely dissolved.

4) Add the resulting composition to the original mixture.

Now the prepared wine just needs to be poured into clean bottles, closed tightly and left for another month. The finished product will certainly pleasantly surprise the home winemaker.

Calories, kcal:

Proteins, g:

Carbohydrates, g:

White dessert wine is made by complete or partial fermentation of alcohol based on fruit and berries. In some cases, alcohols and other substances are added to the recipe of this drink. As a rule, the strength of white dessert wine ranges from 9% to 16%; there are also fortified wines of this variety with a strength of up to 22%.

Dessert white wine is produced not only from, which is considered the most traditional product, but also from various kinds of berries and fruits (calorizer). In the second case we are talking about cheaper wine varieties.

Calorie content of white dessert wine 16%

The calorie content of white dessert wine 16% is 153 kcal per 100 grams of product.

Composition and beneficial properties of white dessert wine 16%

This drink is extremely rich in carbohydrates, mainly in the form of fructose and glucose. It also contains polysaccharides.

The main beneficial properties of the drink can be called the ability to tone small and large vessels, which indicates its benefits (of course, in moderation) for various diseases of the cardiovascular system, which occur with a decrease in overall vascular tone. Also, white wine is great for helping the lungs function, because it can increase the tone of the bronchioles and bronchi.

Harm of white dessert wine 16%

It is worth noting that white grape wine may also contain methyl alcohol (a very toxic element). In white wine its concentration is 0.2-1.1 grams per liter (calorizator). If we talk about the content of polyhydric alcohols in dessert white wine, they are represented here mainly by glycerin.

Sauternes is a white dessert wine from the Graves region of Bordeaux. Sauternes differs from other wines of the famous wine region due to its unique production technology. It is prepared exclusively from Semillon (70-80%), Sauvignon Blanc (20-30%) and less commonly Muscadelle grape varieties, which have been exposed to the so-called “noble mold” botrytis (Botrytis cinerea) and nothing else. Botrytis leads to “dehydration” of the berries and they gradually become raisinized, which, in turn, leads to a concentration of sugar and flavoring substances in them. The climate of the wine region where Sauternes is produced does not allow other microflora to develop (fogs at night, sun in the morning). The result is a very rich dessert drink with an expressive aroma. Minimum strength – 13% alcohol, residual sugar – 120-220 g/l.

Wow. Can you give more details?

Why can’t it, it’s possible. Botrytis mold works selectively, so the bunches ripen unevenly and pickers have to literally pick the harvest one berry at a time. Obsessed people. True, their obsession pays off a hundredfold - the price for a more or less good Sauternes starts at $30+ for a half-bottle (375 ml), and for vintage wines from Chateau d’Yquem you will have to pay $500 or more (for a copy of 1976 they will ask for more than $2000). Sauternes is the most expensive wine in Bordeaux. The situation is further aggravated by the unstable growth of botrytis from year to year, so good Sauternes is not always prepared. In the 80s there were only 4 “fresh” years (1983, 1986, 1988 and 1988), in the 90s there were 3 in general (1990, 1996 and 1997), but the zero years were completely successful (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009- 2011, 2013-2016).

Surely there are difficulties with classification, these are the French.

Not really. The AOC (certificate, appellations, you understand) states that Sauternes can be called a wine for which the grapes were grown in the territory of only 5 specified communes: Sauternes, Barsac, Bomme, Fargues and Pregnac. What is noteworthy is that Barsac wines can be labeled not only as “Sauternes”, but also as “Barsac appellation”. Farg, by the way, was added to the Sauternes communes only in 1921. There are no other rules regarding Sauternes in the AOC, except that the maximum amount of wine produced from 1 hectare of vineyard is 25 hectoliters (100 liters in total, but it would seem a HECTOLITER), as well as the initial level of sugar in the juice - 221 g/l.

In 1855, Napoleon III ordered winemakers from Bordeaux to come up with a classification for their wines for the World Exhibition (we will certainly talk about this in the next articles of this series). So, after evaluation, all the white wines of the Médoc were divided into three levels: Premier Cru Supérieur (“first high crus”), Premiers Crus (“first crus”) and Deuxièmes Crus (“second crus”). Only Château d'Yquem (a wine estate on the territory of the Sauternes commune) of all the Sauternes estates, which, by the way, were assessed separately from all others in Bordeaux, received the highest level. The commune of Barsac received the largest number of classified crus.

Yes, this is clear. So, is it delicious?

And how. You can expect intense notes of honeyed apricot, peach, caramel, toffee, coconut, mango, ginger, marmalade, and a citrus line from Sauternes. The light Sauternes of Barsac are very aromatic, while the wines of Sauternes are more concentrated in flavor. The taste also changes from aging, which can last from 5 to 30+ years. Aged Sauternes change color - from dry straw to old gold, more reminiscent of sherry tones. The taste begins to be dominated by shades of baked goods and even chocolate. And, of course, Sauternes are very sweet, often sweeter than Coke. That’s why paying more than 30 bucks for a bottle isn’t such a bad idea—you can savor the wine for a week, getting satiated with its unique taste.

Well, yes, it's a bit sweet. How should you drink Sauternes then?

Firstly, Sauternes are drunk in their pure form chilled to about 11 o C. Vintage aged specimens are not cooled so much, to about 15 o C. Secondly, unlike other dessert wines that usually accompany desserts, Sauternes is very a sweet drink and it is better to accompany it with foods that are not sweeter than itself, but better with salty and spicy cuisine. The most classic Sauternes dish is, of course, foie gras. But there is something simpler: blue cheeses, non-sweet fruit desserts, cheesecakes without chocolate, shellfish, poultry pates, the same bird baked in herbs. Sour and spicy Asian cuisine will go very well. You can try pork or beef cooked in spicy and sour sauce.

Sounds good, but expensive. Maybe there is an alternative?

Of course there is, it's alcohol. Firstly, the Hungarians have been preparing Tokay wines using similar technology for a couple of centuries (perhaps they are older than the Sauternes). Secondly, botrytis helps winemakers in other regions of France. For example, next to Bordeaux there is the Monbazillac AOC region, where lesser-known and inexpensive white dessert wines are made. And in Bordeaux itself, the situation with sweet wines has not been so bad in recent years. Feel free to hunt for bottles that bear the inscription: Bordeaux, Bordeaux Superieur, Cadillac, Cerons, Cotes de Bergerac, Graves Superieurs, Haut-Benauge, Loupiac, Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Sainte Croix du Mont, Sainte Foy and Saint Macaire. They are an order of magnitude cheaper than Sauternes.

Cool, of course, but why am I reading this on Romov?

At the very least, in these few minutes you have become a little more educated. I, of course, am not the Anointed One, who spoke more juicily about , and , and I hope you are not too bored. In general, an amazing tincture is prepared with Sauternes, the recipe for which you will learn in the next article. Intrigued? It's OK, .

They go well with fruit, cakes, ice cream and other sweet dishes. They are served to the table after being poured into a decanter. They drink dessert wines from the so-called. Madeira glasses. White dessert wines are cooled to 10-16°C before drinking.

Dessert wines are widely used as a component of tonic and refreshing mixed drinks, punches and cruchons. And you certainly can’t do without them when preparing mulled wine.

According to the method of preparation, taste and aroma, dessert wines are divided into Muscat wines, Cahors, Malaga and Tokay wines, and according to sugar content - semi-sweet, sweet and liqueur dessert wines.

Cahors (dessert wine)- Cahors, dessert wine made from red grape varieties (Cabernet, Saperavi, etc.). It received its name from the French city of Cahors (see Cahors), although predominantly white wines are produced in the area of this city. Feature of the technology... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Cahors (dessert wine)- Cahors (from the French Cahors) is a special wine made from Malbec grapes (local name Auxerrois), cultivated in the vicinity of the city of Cahors, South-West France (Sud Ouest), by heat treatment (heating the must and pulp to 65 ... ... Wikipedia

GRAPE WINE- a drink obtained as a result of alcoholic fermentation of grape juice (must); contains organic acids, mineral salts, vitamins, phosphorus, pectin; Some wines also contain sugar. There are table foods (dry and semi-sweet), fortified... ... Concise Encyclopedia of Housekeeping

WINE- According to the definition enshrined in legislation in the main wine-producing countries, wine is fermented grape juice. This legal concept also coincides with the popular definition, since the name wine usually refers only to... Collier's Encyclopedia

wine- A/; pl. guilt; Wed see also wine, wine, wine a) An alcoholic drink obtained as a result of complete or partial fermentation of grapes or fruit juice (sometimes with the addition of alcohol and other substances) White, red wine / ... Dictionary of many expressions

Wine Malaga- Malaga is a dessert wine produced in the Spanish province of the same name, in particular in the vicinity of the city of Malaga and on the surrounding hills. Contents 1 Varieties 2 Grape varieties 3 Impurities ... Wikipedia

wine- noun, p., used very often Morphology: (no) what? wine, why? guilt, (see) what? wine, what? wine, about what? about wine; pl. What? wine, (no) what? wine, why? wines, (see) what? wine, what? wines, about what? about wines Wine is an alcoholic drink that... ... Dmitriev's Explanatory Dictionary

wine- A; pl. guilt; Wed An alcoholic drink obtained as a result of complete or partial fermentation of grapes or fruit juice (sometimes with the addition of alcohol and other substances). White, red c. Dry, fortified. Dining, dessert in... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

wine- fragrant (Ogarev); green (Meln. Pechersky); sparkling (Fet, Frug); amber transparent (Minaev) Epithets of literary Russian speech. M: Supplier of His Majesty's court, the Quick Printing Association A. A. Levenson. A. L. Zelenetsky. 1913. wine... ... Dictionary of epithets

Bastardo dessert Alushta- (Ukrainian Bastardo dessert Alushta) formerly “Vladyka Chatyr Dag”, “Bastardo Chatyr Dag” is an ordinary red dessert wine. The only manufacturer of NPA "Massandra" in Crimea. Contents 1 History ... Wikipedia

Every reputable winery has a wine by which it is unmistakably recognized and distinguished from others. Wine is an icon, wine is a symbol of the economy. It is in such wines that the characteristics of the terroir, the skill of the winemakers and many years of experience and traditions of the economy are most fully revealed. The Crimean winery “Solnechnaya Dolina” also has such wine. Sweet, spicy, full of hot aromas of spices and fruits.

When we say that the conditions of the Sunny Valley are unique, we imagine an area unlike any other - a semi-desert landscape among a pile of rocks on the shore of an endless sea, which, however, has virtually no effect on the microclimate of this place.

Old vineyards of autochthonous varieties, the berries of which form a complex composition, literally break through heavy, dry and rocky soils with their powerful roots. They fight for every drop of precious moisture, so rare in this harsh place. Hardly obtained water feeds the small clusters. The juice of their berries is so thick, as if concentrated, containing a large amount of minerals and always manages to accumulate the required amount of sugar by the time of harvest.

The hand-picked bunches are carefully sorted and sent to the winemaking workshop, where the wine is born cool among shiny steel. The finished young wine is poured into oak barrels. In dark cellars, the wine “gains strength” in complete peace, and if you move away from artistic descriptions, it becomes enriched with the tones of aging. The wine spends at least three years in barrels, but the exact period is always determined by the winemaker, focusing on his experience and understanding of the unique style inherent in this particular sample.

Fully prepared, aged wine is bottled in dark bottles with a beautiful label. Perhaps to some, the labels of vintage wines from Sun Valley may seem outdated - so be it. But, in my opinion, a wine that preserves its style and is a symbol of the economy should retain its “face.” Note that winemakers from old estates in Bordeaux, Rioja or the Moselle are also not very willing to change the design of their “outdated” labels. Probably not without reason.

Well, let's try this wine together.

VINTAGE DESSERT WHITE WINE “SUNNY VALLEY”

View: amber yellow, clear. The wine does not contain sediment or bubbles of dissolved gases. The color of the wine corresponds to the typology and production technology.

Aroma: intense, rich, complex. The first nose is quite intense and clean. The second nose reveals a rich palette of aromas of exotic fruits, spices, flowers, and herbs. The wine develops for a long time in the glass, demonstrating the nuances of aromas of quince, medlar, coriander, and candied melon. The aroma is extremely persistent and complex.

Taste: is in complete harmony with the aroma. In retronasal aromatics, the shades of sweet citrus fruits, flowers and honey are more fully revealed. Dense in body, this wine is perfectly balanced. There's just enough acidity to keep it fresh and balance out the fairly high levels of residual sugar. The alcohol comes through with a noticeable warmth in the aftertaste. The finish is quite long - soft and warm.

General conclusions and recommendations: a magnificent, magical wine that will certainly be a real gift for true connoisseurs of sweet wines. In terms of complexity and depth, it is not inferior to other sweet “celebrities” from distant countries, but at the same time it has a completely original aroma. Of course, this is, first of all, a meditative wine that can be consumed on its own as a dessert, but if you decide to try it paired with nut and berry desserts, sweet pastries or blue cheeses, unexpected and unforgettable pleasant discoveries may await you.