Bringing Sweet Wines Out of the Shadows
The American appetite for sweets is well documented—our national flag might more accurately be decorated with Hershey's kisses than stars. And yet we don't seem to feel the same collective degree of affection for wines that are sweet.
I'm talking about great dessert wines such as late-harvest Rieslings, Marsalas, Madeiras, Moscatos and Sauternes. They may be made from grapes that were dried on mats and left in the sun or allowed to develop a fungus called Botrytis cinerea, which shrivels the grapes, concentrating their sugars. They range from potent dessert wines like Port, which are fortified with neutral spirits, to low-alcohol, fruity wines that are barely off-dry. They're wines that often require time and expertise, not to mention expense, to produce. But no one seems to be drinking them—including me.
According to the Wine Institute, a San Francisco research and advocacy organization, the volume of dessert wines sold in this country was about a 10th that of table wine, nearly 27 million cases versus some 281 million in 2009. Tim Hanni, a wine educator and Master of Wine, says this is because Americans were taught that sweet wines aren't sophisticated or appropriate with food.
Mr. Hanni and Virginia Utermohlen of Cornell University collaborated on a 2010 online survey of 1,600 consumers entitled "Sweet vs. Tolerant Wine Drinkers." The survey, the third in a series, found that many potential wine drinkers were put off by the popular emphasis on dry wines. "There are a million consumers out there who would drink more wine" if sweet wine was more socially acceptable, Mr. Hanni said. "We need to remove the idea that a sweet wine is not appropriate with a steak or that you're a moron for liking it."
2010 La Spinetta Biancospino Moscato d'Asti, $15
The Piedmont-based Rivetti brothers of La Spinetta are justly acclaimed for their stunning single-vineyard Barbarescos, but they produce a charming and affordable Moscato d'Asti, too. Marked by notes of pear, it's a soft, almost frothy low-alcohol wine that's easy to drink and easy to like.
2007 Jorge Ordóñez & Co. No. 1 Selección Especial Málaga, $18
Delightful is the only word for this sprightly, citrus-inflected Malaga from Spanish wine importer and vintner Jorge Ordóñez and the late, great Alois Kracher, the sweet wine genius from Austria. Made from grapes that are dried on the vine, this Málaga, with its wonderful notes of orange and spice, is a surprisingly versatile food wine—it's light enough for an aperitif, though it could also pair quite nicely with rich seafood.
2009 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese, $27
The Dr. Loosen estate under the direction of Ernst Loosen produces some of the most acclaimed Rieslings, year after year. The Ürziger Würzgarten vineyard (the name means "spice garden") is one of the region's steepest, producing opulent wines with lush, almost tropical notes. Its apparent sweetness is held in check by a bright, mouthwatering acidity and almost stony minerality; it's a good match with spicy fare.
2005 Domaine du Clos Naudin Foreau Vouvray Demi Sec, $40
This wonderfully nuanced Loire Valley white from a top domaine is just sweet enough to be unctuous and lush. The nose is a bit earthy, and the finish is long and minerally. It would pair beautifully with any sort of creamy fish or chicken dish—or, for that matter, cheese.
A. Margaine Demi Sec Champagne, $42
It's not easy to find demi-sec Champagne, and it's even more difficult to find a really great one. This Margaine bottling, from a noted small (actually tiny) Champagne grower, is decidedly in the latter category. Made predominantly from Chardonnay, it's marked by heady floral aromas and a lush, creamy texture. An utterly seductive wine.
In the meantime, Andrew Quady said things were looking up, at least for Moscato—sales were so strong he was planting new vineyards. What did he think was the reason for its many new fans? The popularity of the Italian Moscatos was a factor, he said. And maybe the shout-out to the wine in the anthem "I Invented Sex" by Trey Songz and the rapper Drake, which includes the unlikely line: "lobster and shrimp and a glass of Moscato."
Maybe that's what sweet-wine producers need more than a few impassioned professionals or the right pairing with food.
(인용: WSJ)