Alternatives To Sauternes

Alternatives To Sauternes

Alternatives To Sauternes

If you love your dessert wine, know your Sauternes, but want to try some options - well here are a few suggestions.

Not a million miles away you'll find Monbazillac, in Bergerac along the Dordogne valley. Similar in style, often outstandingly delicious, and outstandingly good value. And next door to this is Saussignac - increasingly interesting, and also made in the same style with Botrytis (or Noble Rot) and the same grapes - Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. But look a little further afield in France and you'll find gorgeous Coteaux du Layon in the Loire (Chenin Blanc), honeyed and aromatic Beaumes-de-Venises in Vaucluse (Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains), and Jurancon in the South West (Petit Manseng) for example. And these are just some of the white ones. For red you could perhaps try a Maury, Banyuls, or Muscat de Rivesaltes.

Slip across to Italy, and things start to get even more exciting. Some Recioto di Soave in Veneto, or a great Passito from Umbria or Sicily maybe, and a high quality aged Vin Santo can be a real delight. And don't get Moscato d'Asti confused with the inferior Asti Spumante. The real stuff is foamingly aromatic and refreshing, and top notch with various desserts, particularly in summer. Plus lets not forget the sweeter end of riesling wine in Germany, as in Auslese, Beerenauselese, and even Trockenbeerenauslese.

Countries around the globe are producing lovely examples of sweet wines - late harvest Sauvignon from Chile, Muscat from Rutherglen in Australia, and Tokay from Hungary to mention but a very few. There are even good stabs at it in England with grapes such as Siegerrebe, Ortega, and Bacchus. The list could go on, without touching on styles of sherry, port, madeira and so on - encompassing both fortified and unfortified wines.

Throughout all these the key to a great dessert wine is that it must also have a clean and striking vein of acidity. Just sweet and luscious can be overwhelming and unsatisfying - although unctuous stickies like PX sherry have their place poured over vanilla ice cream, say. What you really want is all the richness and sweetness, followed by some mouth-cleansing acidity which will make you salivate, and refresh at the same time. And then you want more. And more....

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