Dessert Wine

General term for a wine that is sweet and, as such, could accompany, or be, dessert. In the United States, such wines often fall into the category of LATE HARVEST. There are many ways of making dessert wines. Two of the world’s most famous dessert wines, French Sauternes and German trockenbeerenauslesen, are the result of grapes that are infected with the noble rot BOTRYTIS CINEREA.

In the wine name Pouilly-Fumé, what does the “Fumé” refer to?

A. The smoky-colored gray bloom of yeasts on the grapes

B. The mists that rise up from the Loire River where the river makes a turn and begins to head south

C. The slightly smoky character of the wine

D. The morning fog that settles in the pockets of many of the best vineyards

According to the renowned French ampelographer Pierre Galet (known as the “father of modern ampelography”), sauvignon blanc grapes in the Pouilly area of the Loire Valley in France are known by the synonym Blanc Fumé after the smoky-colored gray bloom of yeasts that grow on the grapes there. The grape Blanc Fumé gave rise to the wine’s name Pouilly-Fumé.

The Croissant

The New York Times reports that the iconic French breakfast item, the croissant, will henceforth be made in a straight, rather than curved, shape–at least in several important outlets in Britain. The Brits say it’s… Continue reading

Get WineSpeed