Five Wines To Delight Your Sweet Tooth
Amp up the festive season with our curated set of sweet wines that celebrate that most uniquely Indian passion for all things sugared.
Indians love sweet wine. Neither myth nor a cliche, this is a credible and durable truth that ages well and is nothing to the sheepish about. Sure, the palate for complex and structured Bordeaux and ripe full bodied Tuscans is widely praised for being ‘evolved’, Indian sweet wines buffs can’t be scoffed at for hankering after honeyed ferments. Sweet tooth is inherent to Indian culinary culture – we’ve grown up on an infinite platter of saccharine edibles and fluids. It’d be fair to speculate that the first sighting of chilled rose would have evoked the memory of rose sherbet guzzled at the height of a north Indian summer while a barrel aged golden Chardonnay would have been mistaken for ‘kesar’ sherbet. The wine world itself teems with rich pickings of sweet wines, albeit forbiddingly at the premium edge of the scale.
The indulgently sweet wines of Sauternes in Bordeaux of all places is the muse of many a paen, especially the unattainable Chateau d’Yquem while German and Canadian ice wines, harvested from grape picked at sub-zero temperature is gushed over as if it were urban legend and not a real thing. It is, only if you can find it outside of the countries that make it and drink nearly all of it. However, we have industriously managed to curate a bunch of sweeties from the new world with one delicious Germanic exception that’ll more than adequately sate that uniquely Indian appetite for this style of wine. And with Diwali just around the corner, how about setting down a perfect accompaniment to the ‘mithais’ that’ll amp up the festive season this October. Cheers!
Robertson Winery, Natural Sweet White Wine NV
This wine’s story is as interesting as that of South African wine itself. This deliciously sweet pleaser all around is a unique style that South Africa rightfully calls its own given its history of bottling this style before a modern revolution that made it the new world powerhouse it is today. Robertson Valley is perfectly placed to produce this style thanks to copious sunshine and warm afternoons that ripen the fruit early. This wine thrills the palate with intense fragrance and a balance of sweet character and ripe tropical fruit. So chill this wine down to 10 degrees C and savour its naturally sweet palate.
St. Urbans-Hof, QbA, Riesling “Old Vines” 2020
Germany owns the Riesling and has over centuries of hard work, crafted a range of distinctive styles of which the sweeter ones are most adored. So we’ve picked out one of the best — a vintage expression produced in the heart of Mosel Valley by a most traditional family estate, St. Urbans-Hof. This fine Riesling, vinified from fruit grown on old vines is in classic form, exuding notes of mango, orange peel, hallmark minerality that comes from the steeply placed slate laden soils and of course, generous residual sweetness towards a clean finish. This sweet Riesling is rated 4.1 by Vivino.
Vietti, Moscato d’ Asti Tre Vigne 2020
Italy’s stellar and cool region of Piedmont is best touted for that bold yet subtle red wine, Barolo. But we’re full of surprises and this Peidmontese white is top of the heap. The Vietti, Moscato d’ Asti Tre Vigne 2020 is a delightfully summery sparkler produced by one of Piedmont’s pioneering wine families! This light sparkler is produced from the Muscat Blanc grape that makes sweet and fruity wines. Showing a hue of pale sunshine, the Moscato tastes of delectable sweetness and notes of fresh apricots and peaches, finishing clean with soft texture.
Robertson Winery, Natural Sweet Rose Wine NV
Robertson Winery is less an enterprise and more a community driven effort to make wines that best define this sunny and underrated region on the Western Cape. The region also nurtures a unique South African treasure of natural sweet wines. The natural sweet rose exemplifies this distinction with an intense coral pink colour and sweet yet balanced palate. This SA rose is a a classic day drinking aperitif that blends Ruby Cabernet, Chenin Blanc and Colombard crackles with floral and fruity tones, best enjoyed chilled at 12 degrees.
