Methods of Production
Makers of dessert wines want to produce a wine containing high levels of both sugar and alcohol, yet the alcohol is made from sugar. There are many ways to increase sugar levels in the final wine:
- grow grapes so that they naturally have sugar to spare for both sweetness and alcohol.
- add sugar, either:
- before fermentation as sugar or honey (Chaptalization)
- after fermentation as unfermented must (Süssreserve).
- add alcohol (typically brandy) before all the sugar is fermented, this is called fortification, or 'mutage'.
- remove water to concentrate the sugar:
- In warm climates, by air drying the grapes to make raisin wine
- In frosty climates, by freezing out some of the water to make ice wine
- In damp temperate climates, by using a fungal infection, Botrytis cinerea, to desiccate the grapes with noble rot
Read more about this topic: Dessert Wine
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