Sweet wine

The sweet wines are obtained traditionally by operation of " mutage" who consists of a contribution of vinic alcohol neutral on the Moût of grape in order to stop fermentation and to preserve part of sugar.

One distinguishes the sweet aperitif wines , of which sugar comes exclusively from the grape, other sweet wines, whose sugar can come, partly, Chaptalisation.

These wines have a strong degree of alcohol in power, if the Fermentation of these grapes were total, the wine would be with more than 21% vol.

Fermentation is thus stopped by adding in the Cuve of the Ethanol: one speaks about Mutage to alcohol. The alcohol addition causes to block fermentation because the Levure S are lysed by alcohol (as from 15 16%). That causes to produce a Vin with relatively strong degree of residual alcohol but still having Sucre S. Several types of breedings are then possible thereafter.

These wines are generally obtained with Cépage S like the Muscat (white Muscat with small grains and Muscat of Alexandria) but also the Grenache (white Grenache, black and gray Grenache) and the tourbat.

In France, the sweet wines most known are the Muscatels (of Beaumes-of-Venice, of Rivesaltes, of Frontignan…), the Rivesaltes (wine) (amber, tile…), Maury and the Banyuls. These wines are obtained in majority in the Languedoc-Roussillon, and more particularly in the the Eastern Pyrenees as regards Muscat Rivesaltes, Maury, Banyuls and Rivesaltes. The Malaga is a famous Spanish sweet wine.

Sweet aperitif wines of France

Sweet aperitif wines of the Languedoc

Muscatel of Frontignan
Muscatels of Mireval, Saint-Jean-with-Minervois, Lunel

Sweet aperitif wines of the Roussillon

Banyuls and Banyuls Great wine
Maury
Large Roussillon
Rivesaltes
Muscatel of Rivesaltes

Sweet aperitif wine of Portugal

Oporto is a wine transferred , i.e. a wine whose fermentation was stopped in the course of process by the addition of alcohol what makes it possible to keep the sugar content.

The vineyards are located on the escarpés sides of Haut-Douro in a delimited area.

After the vintage, the process of fermentation is supervised and when the desired residual sugar rate is reached, the addition of a precise quantity of spirits distilled from wine stops fermentation by sterilization of must making it possible to keep the sugar content.

The maturation of the product is carried out in Gaïa on left bank of Douro vis-a-vis the town of Oporto.

One distinguishes two varieties from Oporto, Ruby and Tawny

The maturation of Ruby is carried out in the lightnings of great capacity made up of thick wood, of this fact the oxidation of the product is reduced what makes it possible the RUBY to keep a young wine character of dark color.

The maturation of Tawny is carried out in barrels of low capacity made up of thin wood, oxidation is more important than for the RUBY, the product take the old wine character with more intense aromas and a ambrée color.

Vintage is vintage Oporto of great quality from which the wines result from type of vines of the same harvest and answering precise criteria controlled by an organization of certification.

Oporto Blanc is a recent production created with a commercial aim to cover a broader sampling from a wine apéritf point of view. Oporto Blanc is resulting only from white grapes.

See

liqueur-like Wine - Wine transferred

External bonds

sweet aperitif wines in the planet-wine/Languedoc-Roussillon
Sweet aperitif wine on the site " Vertigo, Gate of Languedoc-Roussillon"
Wine of Banyuls, wine of Collioure AOC, sweet aperitif wine, wine transferred on grains, commercial site of " The Cellar of the Rous" Abbot; , wine distributer.

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