Wednesday 24 june 2009
If you are experimenting with sweet wines, below are some questions to test yourself to see how much you already know when choosing the right sweet
wine. If you want to know exactly how to make the best choices regarding sweet wines then this is the quiz for you. Match the sweet wine questions to the right answer.
1. I know I've found a sweet wine when:
a) it says sweet on the label.
b) my mouth puckers like I've bitten into a Granny Smith apple.
c) it's the dessert wine section.
d) none of the above.
The correct answer is C. Sweet wines are not usually mixed in with other varietals. While you might see the word 'sweet' on a label it's not typical for sweet wines. And getting that pucker feeling means the wine is either acidic or dry.
2. When buying sweet wines I go right to the:
a) wine merchant and ask where the sweet wines are.
b) dessert wine section.
c) late-harvest wine rack.
d) all of the above.
The correct answer is D. You won't find a late-harvest Riesling in the Riesling section of a wine shop. They are not the same wine. A Kabinett Riesling is nothing like a Berenauslese Riesling, just like a Semillon wine is nothing like the honey sweetness of a Botrytis Semillon.
3. When selecting a sweet white wine from the dessert wine section I always:
a) go for the fortified wines.
b) buy the smallest bottle I can find because they are expensive.
c) base my choice on the occasion I need it for.
d) a and b
While fortified wine can be either a dry wine or a sweet wine, ice wines are always sweet and come in half bottles because they are expensive and rare, the correct answer is C. Depending on your needs you want to make the right choice in your purchase. Most dessert wines are served with dessert. But you don't just grab a dessert wine and sit down with your chocolate mousse. Not all dessert wines go with every dessert.
4. I'm having a baked apple tart for dessert so I'm going to buy:
a) an ice wine.
b) a fortified wine of some sort.
c) something that is less sweet than the dessert so the dessert doesn't get overpowered.
d) the first thing I see on the shelf. It’s all dessert wine.
The correct answer is B. Ice wine and baked apple goods will conflict in tastes and provide a poor experience. You never want the dessert to be sweeter than the wine, you want them to be as closely paired as possible but the wine should always be sweeter. And from that you should gather not all dessert wines fit every dessert pairing. Fortified wines, like Port, fit best with the acidic properties of something like an apple tart.
1. I know I've found a sweet wine when:
a) it says sweet on the label.
b) my mouth puckers like I've bitten into a Granny Smith apple.
c) it's the dessert wine section.
d) none of the above.
The correct answer is C. Sweet wines are not usually mixed in with other varietals. While you might see the word 'sweet' on a label it's not typical for sweet wines. And getting that pucker feeling means the wine is either acidic or dry.
2. When buying sweet wines I go right to the:
a) wine merchant and ask where the sweet wines are.
b) dessert wine section.
c) late-harvest wine rack.
d) all of the above.
The correct answer is D. You won't find a late-harvest Riesling in the Riesling section of a wine shop. They are not the same wine. A Kabinett Riesling is nothing like a Berenauslese Riesling, just like a Semillon wine is nothing like the honey sweetness of a Botrytis Semillon.
3. When selecting a sweet white wine from the dessert wine section I always:
a) go for the fortified wines.
b) buy the smallest bottle I can find because they are expensive.
c) base my choice on the occasion I need it for.
d) a and b
While fortified wine can be either a dry wine or a sweet wine, ice wines are always sweet and come in half bottles because they are expensive and rare, the correct answer is C. Depending on your needs you want to make the right choice in your purchase. Most dessert wines are served with dessert. But you don't just grab a dessert wine and sit down with your chocolate mousse. Not all dessert wines go with every dessert.
4. I'm having a baked apple tart for dessert so I'm going to buy:
a) an ice wine.
b) a fortified wine of some sort.
c) something that is less sweet than the dessert so the dessert doesn't get overpowered.
d) the first thing I see on the shelf. It’s all dessert wine.
The correct answer is B. Ice wine and baked apple goods will conflict in tastes and provide a poor experience. You never want the dessert to be sweeter than the wine, you want them to be as closely paired as possible but the wine should always be sweeter. And from that you should gather not all dessert wines fit every dessert pairing. Fortified wines, like Port, fit best with the acidic properties of something like an apple tart.
