Time for a quick chemistry lesson. Wine is made by the process of converting sugar from the juice of grapes into alcohol and carbon dioxide via yeast. If all (or nearly all) of the sugar is fermented out of a wine by the winemaker, then that wine is considered dry. If some residual sugar is left, then the wine is sweet.
As in most cases, sweet wines can be craftedTime for a quick chemistry lesson. Wine is made by the process of converting sugar from the juice of grapes into alcohol and carbon dioxide via yeast. If all (or nearly all) of the sugar is fermented out of a wine by the winemaker, then that wine is considered dry. If some residual sugar is left, then the wine is sweet.
As in most cases, sweet wines can be crafted from either red or white grapes. Sweet whites can be made in a variety of different ways and from a number of different grape varieties. The two main winemaking techniques used to produce sweet whites are either by fortifying them with alcohol or by halting fermentation by chilling the wine for an extended amount of time and then filtering the wine. ...more ...less
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The first technique is used for sweet whites such as Port, vin doux naturals, and Australian “stickies.” Grapes are grown and harvested as they would be for dry white wine and fermentation in the winery is begun. After a short time, a fortifying spirit is added to the still-fermenting grapes, which serves the purpose of halting fermentation. Since not all the sugar has fermented out when the spirit is added,The first technique is used for sweet whites such as Port, vin doux naturals, and Australian “stickies.” Grapes are grown and harvested as they would be for dry white wine and fermentation in the winery is begun. After a short time, a fortifying spirit is added to the still-fermenting grapes, which serves the purpose of halting fermentation. Since not all the sugar has fermented out when the spirit is added, the resulting wine is sweet.
The second technique concentrates so much sugar in the grape itself that when fermentation is stopped there is still plenty of sweetness left in the wine. There are a number of ways to achieve this, including long hang time for the grapes and late picking, drying the grapes after harvest and before fermentation, and freezing the grapes. What all of these techniques have in common is that they concentrate the grape’s sugars, making it possible to halt fermentation while the wine still contains residual sugar.
Many of the most famous dessert white wines are made in this way. Sauternes and Tokaji are made by concentrating the sugars via a process called noble rot. Grapes literally rot on the vine (but the strain of rot is harmless and actually imparts a pleasant flavor to the finished wine) and sugars are intensified. German Eiswein and icewine made in the rest of the world rely on the first frosts of the year to freeze the grapes, so when they are pressed the water stays behind, concentrating the sugars. Late harvest white grapes are picked around the world, such as in Germany as Auslese and and Beerenauslese Riesling and in Alsace, France as Sélection de Grains Nobles.
One notable outlier is Moscato d’Asti. In this case, the juice is chilled and filtered, then fermented to 5.5% ABV before fermentation is stopped. Since the Muscat grape is intensely fragrant, the wine’s low alcohol and residual sugar are essential to elevating the wine’s perfumed aromas. ...more ...less