What do they drink semi-sweet wine with? Which semi-sweet wine to choose?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Wine is the nectar of the gods, the drink that accompanies us throughout our lives. In some countries it is an element of culture. Even in ancient times, people believed that grape wine is a sunny drink. After all, the grapes from which it is made collect and absorb the sun's rays, accumulate energy in their berries, and then transfer it to people. Therefore, it is absolutely correct to believe that everything bright and wonderful was given to this drink by nature, and bad and dark (the same alcohol) - people.

More about wine

Today you can find red, white and rosé wines. Their color depends on the grape variety from which they were made. So, for red wines, grapes of dark shades are used. Moreover, the longer the drink is kept, the darker it becomes. The most aged wines are bright, full-bodied,ruby color. In turn, white wine is obtained from light grapes. This drink has a golden or yellow-green color. And the amber hue can tell that the wine is strong and very old.

The taste of wine depends not so much on the grape variety from which it is made, but on the soil on which the vine was grown, on the climatic conditions of the region. Therefore, wines with the same name, produced in different countries, differ significantly in taste. Even a drink that was produced in the same place, but in different years, will not taste the same, because the breed was different.

What are the wines?

All wines - white, red, and rosé - are divided into the following categories according to their purpose. Table wines (dry, semi-sweet and semi-dry): they are used as flavoring additions to the table. As well as dessert (fortified, liquor): they are used as desserts. How to figure out which wine is semi-sweet and which is dry? Look at the percentage of sugar and alcohol indicated on the label.

Thus, table wines are classified as dry if the sugar content per 100 ml is from 1 to 2.5 grams. That is, the sugar fermented almost completely. On the palate, these wines are light and sour. Alcohol content - from 6 to 14%.

Semi-sweet wine, it is also semi-dry, contains from 3 to 8% sugar and has a delicate peculiar taste. Unfortunately, such wines are less persistent than dry ones. The fact is that even after bottling, the drinks continue tobiochemical process due to the presence of sugar in it. So, the wine continues to ripen, age and decay further. Semi-sweet wine has the fastest decay cycle.

In order to slow down these processes add alcohol. This is how fortified and liqueur wines are obtained, containing up to 30% sugar and 20% alcohol, respectively.

On the production of semi-sweet wines

Now let's talk about how semi-sweet wine is made. As a rule, for the preparation of this drink one variety (rarely several varieties) of grapes is used. There is a slight difference in production depending on the color. So, pink and white semi-sweet wines are obtained as a result of not completely fermented grape must without pulp (with berry seeds and skins). In turn, red - with pulp. In the manufacture of semi-sweet wines, the best must (first pressure and gravity) is used.

The creation process consists in the fermentation of the must: when the sugar content in it drops to the mark required for the finished wine, the finished mixture is cooled or pasteurized, then filtered to separate the sediment. This is how the necessary wine materials are obtained, which must lie for two months in special refrigerators at temperatures up to 2o. The wine is then filtered and bottled.

How to choose?

Any wines, both domestic production, and imported, and imported from countries where winemaking is an ancient craft and part of the culture, can be both excellent and the most ordinary, or even terrible. Giving a lotmoney for the best semi-sweet wines from France that you have never tasted before, you can be both fascinated and vice versa. The thing is that everyone has their own taste and their own concept of what “real French wine” should be like. And in order not to be afraid to make a mistake, you need to try.

Have tastings, at least once in a while. You need to try many varieties to determine for yourself which drink is ideal in taste and price. You should not stop only at classic France, choose other varieties. Italian, Spanish and Portuguese wines are also considered good. Pay attention to Georgian and Moldovan semi-sweet wines (reviews about some of them are simply enthusiastic). Drinks from Germany and South America are also noteworthy.

Numbers on labels

Carefully read what is written on the labels. And if you cannot be sure that you are pronouncing the name of a wine written in a foreign language correctly, then you will definitely understand the numbers. Fortunately, they are written in the same way in all languages. So, look at the year of release of the drink. From it you can easily understand whether this wine is vintage or ordinary. So, vintage semi-sweet wine must be aged for at least 1.5 years. Ordinary is consumed in the next year after the release, it is not kept, respectively, it is much cheaper.

The next thing you should pay attention to is the percentage of alcohol, it is denoted by Alc. Sugar is also indicated as a percentage. Thus, even without knowing the name, youyou can always understand how sweet you buy wine and how it will be combined with dishes. Well, the color is easily distinguishable through the bottle.

The best semi-sweet wines of Georgia

France is famous for its red and white dry wines, and as for semi-sweet wines, here all the laurels go to Georgia. So, the most popular brands are:

"Ahansheni" - excellent semi-sweet red wines, with a strong and pleasant chocolate tint. The drink has a dark pomegranate color and a rare taste harmony.

Kindzmarauli is a semi-sweet red wine with ripe cherry color. It is grown in the valleys of Kakheti and is famous for its harmonious, velvety taste.

"Diamond Valley" - red and white semi-sweet wines with a fresh bouquet and soft varietal aroma.

Khvanchkara is a real pearl among semi-sweet wines. Thanks to its elegant dark ruby color, strong aroma and velvety taste with a raspberry tint, it has repeatedly become a winner at international wine tastings.

Competitors

Germans, Italians and Americans are quite successfully competing with Georgia.

Tokai are famous semi-sweet and dessert wines made in the USA. Nothing to do with Hungarian brands, which are mostly dry.

Rheinhessen and Rheinpfalz are excellent white semi-sweet and semi-dry drinks with a dense consistency. Some of the best German wines made from grapes grown on the Rhine.

Asti is the finest wine produced in Italy's northern province.

Choose quality

As the name implies, a good semi-sweet wine should have some sweetness on the palate. Cheap varieties are distinguished by an unbalanced taste and give off sourness, somewhat reminiscent of dry. Some manufacturers, lacking the necessary technology, are trying to correct this deficiency by adding even more sugar. However, this is not what is required of a real winemaker. The main task is to create a bouquet. Thus, it is quite easy to distinguish a low-quality wine - it does not have a bouquet: notes of plums, berries, flowers, sweet peppers and dried fruits.

You can also pay attention to the following figures. Quality semi-sweet wine should contain from 9 to 12% alcohol and 30-80 grams of sugar per liter. If the numbers do not match, you have a fake.

Combinations

Well, the last, no less important point is the combination. What do they drink semi-sweet wine with? There are no hard and fast rules here. If earlier there were prescriptions: red wine - only for meat, and white - for fish, today the main thing is your imagination. Don't be afraid to experiment! But remember one golden rule of success: the more complex the dishes, the simpler the drink, and vice versa.

You can use already proven combinations. So, semi-sweet wine is good to serve with seafood (crabs, oysters and crayfish), as well as various vegetable dishes (cauliflower, green peas, etc.). In general, white semi-sweet wines go well with fish underspicy sauce, white poultry and veal, delicate cheeses, pâtés and sausages. An interesting combination - dishes with sour cream sauce. White wine perfectly complements its creamy taste. The main thing when choosing an appetizer for white semi-sweet wine is not to overshadow its delicate aroma. Avoid spicy and hot herbs with a characteristic odor.

Semi-sweet red wines are a great addition to desserts, which are the following snacks: mild cheeses, sweets, cookies, ice cream and fruits. A great option is to serve wine with chocolate cake, which will emphasize its rich taste.