One of the best ways to compliment a delicious Italian meal, is the end it with a glass of sweet dessert wine. In Italy there are many ways to produce a dessert wine, typically it involves a drying process where grapes on placed on straw mats or are hung to dry in a room over 3-6 months before being pressed and fermented in oak barrels over 3-5 years.
Each of Italy’s dessert wines have their own unique taste and characteristics. Usually, the wines are light and sweet and pair perfectly with pastries, fresh fruit, or saltier snacks such as cheeses and charcuterie. Some Italian dessert wines worth trying are:
Moscato D’Asti DOCG
Moscato d’Asti DOCG is a lightly sweet, semi-sparkling, and low in alcohol wine which is mainly produced in the Asti province of Piemonte as well as in the neighboring provinces of Alessandria and Cuneo.
Produced from the Moscato bianco grape which is one of the oldest grapes found in the Asti area, believed to date as far back as the 1300s. This wine combines sweetness and acidity with its delicate but complex aroma, it has hints of oranges and dried peaches. Enjoy this wine served slightly chilled and with pastries or with fruits.
Recioto di Soave DOCG
Recioto di Soave DOCG is a wine zone in Verona, Veneto producing sweet whites from dried Garganega grapes. It is made from grapes that have been dried out for several weeks or even months after harvest.
The wine has a intense golden yellow colour with notes of honey and ripe fruits such as melon, and apricot. Recioto di Soave is a full-bodied sweet wine which pairs perfectly with any sweets course or sharp cheeses.
Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà DOC
Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà DOC is an amber-colored dessert wine is based on Bosco grapes, as well as Albarola and Vermentino grapes. The wine is produced in the coastal areas of the Cinque Terre in the Province of La Spezia in Liguria, the vineyards are unique as they are planted on extremely steep cliffs off the coast of the Mediterranean.
The wine is produced with a passito method in which the grapes are air-dried before they are processed. Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà DOC is a sweet wine with aromas of honey, dried fruit, and herbs, with underlying notes of toffee and hazelnut.