Approx. 4-minute read

By Tiffany Vernon, Marketing

I very rarely make it to dessert on Christmas day. Like many people, my eyes are always bigger than my belly, indulging in more food than I can handle and ending the festive break looking more like a dressed turkey than, well, the turkey itself. Despite this, I insist on purchasing a wine for every course, just in case I make it through. This includes something sweet. The beauty of a dessert wine is you can enjoy it over a few days, experimenting with food combinations from the inevitable leftovers. Ever tried turkey sandwiches and Sauternes? No, me neither…

Whether you have a sweet tooth or not, there is an array of methods used to produce dessert wines which makes them a fascinating topic. Let’s begin with Tokaji. When I first heard about this Hungarian wine, I was told it was so sweet it came with a little crystal spoon because you could only manage a thimbleful at a time — a little off-putting, to say the least. But when you drill down into the styles made, not all of these wines are pure syrup. Take Szamorodni, for example. A percentage of grapes harvested have been affected by noble rot (officially known as botrytis cinerea), a naturally occurring fungus which shrivels the grapes and concentrates the sugars. Szamorodni translates as ‘made by itself’, combining healthy, ripe grapes with the botrytized ones, resulting in a wine with a lovely sweet and sour note that is anything but sickly. Barta Winery’s Ӧreg Kiraly Dülo Sweet Szamorodni Furmint offers a burst of freshness on the palate; marked lime and preserved lemon notes at the core are muddled together with orchard fruit hard-boiled sweets and a silky, moreish texture — no need for a teaspoon here. Pair with panettone for an extra festive treat.

Another classic ‘noble’ wine is Sauternes, the golden nectar from Bordeaux. Here, specific climatic conditions propel the development of noble rot in the vineyards. On average, a single grapevine will produce one bottle of wine, but because botrytis cinerea dehydrates the grapes, in Sauternes, each vine will produce no more than a single glass. It’s a risky business — if conditions are off-key, the grapes won’t contract botrytis at all, or it will set in too far, rendering the grapes rotten and unusable. Luckily, Château Briatte had the weather gods smiling upon them in 2020, producing a wine boasting quince jelly, candied lemon peel and a hint of jasmine complemented by honeyed undertones, amaretto biscuit and a lick of freshness. For me, Sauternes is the perfect partner to traditional Christmas cake, Dundee cake or stollen, but it’s also fabulous as an apéritif with pâté.

Another interesting winemaking technique is by sun drying the grapes. In the Chianti region, grapes are picked and ‘air dried’ for prolonged periods on straw mats in a well-ventilated loft or purpose-built shack. This appassimento method desiccates the grapes to concentrate the sugars. The grapes are then fermented and matured in old oak caratelli barrels. In the case of Vignamaggio’s Vinsanto, the drying takes place for three months before the wine is aged for four years in caratelli, adding an oxidative character. The result is a treacle-coloured wine with flavours of raisins, sultanas and dried apricots, blended with spiced manuka honey, malted toffee, and layers of chocolate tempered by tangy orange and lime. The ultimate wine to match a Christmas pudding, mince pies or sticky toffee pudding.

For an über traditional festive tipple, Vintage Port can be the pièce de résistance — especially with a spot of cheese! The aptly named Wine & Soul based in the Douro Valley have made the stunning Pintas Vintage Port 2018. The 2018 vintage proved to be something of a roller coaster for producers: an unprecedented period of drought, a very wet spring and a scorchingly hot summer. Despite the viticultural challenges, the fruit was exceptional and full of purity. Pintas is packed with brooding black and brambly berries entwined with blood orange, fig, and damsons galore. It’s inky, dark and rich with lashings of spice, chocolate and medicinal notes leading into a delicious blueberry muffin end note. I’ll be having mine with a dark chocolate fondant before rolling to bed.

Finally, Joostenberg Estate’s Noble Late Harvest Chenin Blanc is exactly as it is described on the label: late harvest Chenin Blanc grapes affected by our old friend noble rot. Hailing from the coastal region of Paarl in South Africa, this wine is allowed to ferment naturally, leaving a healthy dose of residual sugar once fermentation has ceased. It’s reminiscent of mango chutney and pineapple upside-down cake with a smattering of coconut, baked apples and pastry notes. A beautiful wine to pair with a Christmas pavlova or traditional British crumble.