Sweet Wine
Wow. What a ride. This year stickies saw Golds from seven different countries; prices from cheap to expensive and wine styles that went from ‘cheerful and bouncy’ to ‘serious and intellectual’. Sweet wines tend to attract a fair slew of medals, but even allowing for the Joys of Sugar, this was a really interesting part of this year’s competition.
Of course, our tasters found classic styles – Canadian ice wine, Tokaji, straw wines and Mosel Auslese. But their eyes were well and truly opened by what they weren’t expecting: high-class Kiwi sweeties, a succulent English Schönburger and a playful Brachetto.
Customers might not ask for these unprompted, but with a bit of gentle prodding, they can really provide the wow factor.
From The Tasting Teams
‘Non-botrytis sweet wines are very good in a restaurant, for pairings, or for private dining where you have a larger room, and can have a white, red and sweet wine at the end to upsell.’ Erik Simonics, Annabel’s
‘I enjoyed the easy-going fruity, sparkling reds. Almost Asti-esque, they were good fun, would work well by the glass, and pair well with fruit-based desserts.’ Sam Weatherill, Etch. by Steven Edwards
‘If people don’t want to gamble they’ll probably go Tokaji.’ Antóin UáRuairc, UK Midland Sommelier
‘The ice wines were all good. They’re great for dessert pairings.’ Elena Serban, Heritage Restaurant
‘I’d want to list a few of these reds. They’re varied and versatile. You could be imaginative with the dessert matches.’ Laurent Richet MS, team leader
‘Everything in the ice wine flight was just really lovely. They’re expensive, but they’re ice wines, and that comes at a cost.’ Sam Weatherill, Etch. by Steven Edwards
‘The late-harvest New Zealand wines really impressed me – a really good alternative to Austrian or German wine.’ Dave Cushley, Prestonfield House