CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 15 Classics | Page 89

luted. The concentrated batch will become a
dessert wine and the diluted batch will be-
come distilled for brandy.
The fermentation of the highly concentrated
grape juice can take up to six months, de-
pending on the temperatures and nutrition
levels involved. It is in this long fermentation
where the wines develop their final element
of strength and complexity. The high sugar
concentration gives way to about 14-15% al-
cohol at which point the yeast can no longer
survive and some sugars are left un-metab-
olized lending to the sweetness. The natu-
ral end to the fermentations and settling of
the lees gives the wine a leanness, a strong
flavor profile, and warmth on the finish. We
then add a small dose of brandy at the end
of the fermentation as a way to balance the
sweetness. When these wines have settled
and aged in barrel or tank and are bottled,
the combination of high sugar, alcohol, acid,
and phenolics will lead to a long life and po-
tential for maturing into even more beautiful
and intriguing wines.
Understanding dessert wines goes beyond
the wine itself: it is about slowing down,
appreciating, and savoring the experience.
These wines stem from cultures built on
homemade, homegrown foods, family meals
that carry on into the late evening hours,
meals that focus on appreciating small
handfuls of deliciousness and progressing
through these portions one at a time, each
with a different sip of wine. Eisweins and
Auslese in Germany, Vin Santo in Italy, Sau-
ternes in France, and other dessert wines
around the world share a common thread of
being intoxicatingly rich, sweet, and aromat-
ic which lend themselves to this concept.
No guzzling now, no piling plates high with
all you can eat, no rushing through and eat-
ing in your car; these experiences will reward
patience, appreciation, and gratitude for
the tastes, smells, textures, and where they
came from and who crafted them into what
they are and who we are sharing them with.
Dessert wines are not just about sweetness
but more importantly about depth, experi-
ence, and the ability to embrace one mo-
ment at a time.
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