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Sweet Wine

Sweet Wine

Sweet wines belong to one of the most appreciated categories of the boundless world wine production, characterised by the ability to preserve the primordial sweetness of the grape and to enchant for the explosion of flavours and fragrances. The different expressions vary depending on the grape variety and the method of production: the aromatics, prepared from aromatic grapes partially fermented, such as Moscato d'Asti; the late harvests, which exploit the concentrations of sugar due to over-ripening; the passiti or dessert wines, born from bunches dried in the sun on racks or in closed rooms; the muffati and the ice wines, obtained from grapes attacked by noble rot or frozen due to severe climatic conditions. Normally they are a perfect pairing for desserts and blue cheeses, but they can also be enjoyed on their own, thanks to their aromatic richness that can give unique sensations.

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Sweet Wines
165 results
Passito di Pantelleria 'Ben Ryé' Donnafugata 2022 - 37.5cl
5/5
Bibenda
94/100
Robert Parker
3/3
Gambero Rosso
Donnafugata
2022 | 37.5 cl / 14.5% | Sicilia (Italy)
34,00 
34,00 
TOP SELLER  on Callmewine
Moscato d'Asti I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano - Ceretto 2024
Ceretto
2024 | 75 cl / 5.5% | Piemonte (Italy)
13,80 
13,80 
Moscato d'Asti Paolo Saracco 2024
Saracco Paolo
2024 | 75 cl / 5.5% | Piemonte (Italy)
13,50 
13,50 
Barsac 'Cypres de Climens' Château Climens 2010 - 50cl
Château Climens
2010 | 50 cl / 13.5% | Bordeaux (France)
39,90 €27,90 
27,90 
Moscato d'Asti Luigi Einaudi 2024
Einaudi Luigi
2024 | 75 cl / 5% | Piemonte (Italy)
10,90 €9,80 
9,80 
Asti Spumante 'La Selvatica' La Caudrina
2/3
Gambero Rosso
3/4
Vitae AIS
4/5
Bibenda
La Caudrina
75 cl / 7% | Piemonte (Italy)
12,80 
12,80 
Passito di Pantelleria 'Pantesco' Pellegrino 2023 - 50cl
Pellegrino
2023 | 50 cl / 14.5% | Sicilia (Italy)
23,40 
23,40 
Moscato Rosa Cantina di Caldaro Kaltern 2023
Cantina di Caldaro - Kellerei Kaltern
2023 | 75 cl / 11.5% | Alto Adige (Italy)
10,70 
10,70 
Last One Left!
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice 'Amelia' La Palazzola 2013 - 37.5cl
4/4
Vitae AIS
5/5
Bibenda
La Palazzola
2013 | 37.5 cl / 12.5% | Umbria (Italy)
26,40 €23,80 
23,80 
Malvasia delle Lipari 'Punta Aria' Pinnata 2020 - 37.5cl
92/100
Veronelli
Punta Aria - Pinnata di Pollastri
2020 | 37.5 cl / 13% | Sicilia (Italy)
27,60 
27,60 
Sangue di Giuda Francesco Quaquarini 2023
Quaquarini Francesco
2023 | 75 cl / 6% | Lombardia (Italy)
9,00 
9,00 
TOP SELLER  on Callmewine
Sangue di Giuda Giorgi 2024
Giorgi
2024 | 75 cl / 7% | Lombardia (Italy)
7,90 €5,60 
5,60 
Moscato d'Asti 'Maddalena' Adriano Marco e Vittorio 2024
3/4
Vitae AIS
Adriano Marco e Vittorio
2024 | 75 cl / 5% | Piemonte (Italy)
11,50 
11,50 
Brachetto d'Acqui Braida 2024
Braida - Giacomo Bologna
2024 | 75 cl / 5.5% | Piemonte (Italy)
12,00 
12,00 
Sauternes Château de Mayne 2022
Château du Mayne
2022 | 75 cl / 13% | Bordeaux (France)
25,30 €21,50 
21,50 
Moscato di Pantelleria 'Kabir' Donnafugata 2024 - 37.5cl
91/100
James Suckling
4/5
Bibenda
91/100
Robert Parker
Donnafugata
2024 | / 11.5% | Sicilia (Italy)
13,00 
13,00 
Only 2 left!
Tre Filer' Ca' dei Frati 2021 - 37.5cl
Ca' dei Frati
2021 | / 13% | Lombardia (Italy)
13,20 
13,20 
Passito 'Sol' Ezio Cerruti - 37.5cl
Cerruti Ezio
37.5 cl / 15% | Piemonte (Italy)
35,00 
35,00 
Il Longhino' Dario Coos 2022
4/5
Bibenda
89/100
Veronelli
Coos Dario
2022 | 75 cl / 13.5% | Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy)
17,00 
17,00 
Fosso della Rosa Almondo
Almondo Giovanni
75 cl / 5% | Piemonte (Italy)
14,30 
14,30 
Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale '11 Filari' San Marzano 2022 - 50cl
San Marzano
2022 | 50 cl / 18% | Puglia (Italy)
15,50 
15,50 
Erbaluce di Caluso Passito 'Talin' Ilaria Salvetti 2020
3/4
Vitae AIS
Salvetti Ilaria
2020 | / 12% | Piemonte (Italy)
28,20 
28,20 
Last One Left!
Passito di Pantelleria 'Ben Ryé' Donnafugata 2022 - 75cl
5/5
Bibenda
3/3
Gambero Rosso
94/100
Robert Parker
Donnafugata
2022 | 75 cl / 14.5% | Sicilia (Italy)
64,00 
64,00 
Only 3 left!
Albana di Romagna Passito 'Thea' Tre Monti 2023 - 50cl
4/5
Bibenda
3/4
Vitae AIS
90/100
Veronelli
Tre Monti
2023 | 50 cl / 12.5% | Emilia Romagna (Italy)
21,50 
21,50 
Torcolato di Breganze Maculan 2022 - 37.5cl
94/100
James Suckling
95/100
Veronelli
2/3
Gambero Rosso
Maculan
2022 | / 14% | Veneto (Italy)
19,90 
19,90 
Last One Left!
Moscato d'Asti 'Nivole' Michele Chiarlo 2024
Chiarlo Michele
2024 | 75 cl / 5% | Piemonte (Italy)
12,80 
12,80 
Moscato di Scanzo Biava 2018 - 50cl
2/3
Slowine
Biava
2018 | 50 cl / 15% | Lombardia (Italy)
74,30 
74,30 
Only 3 left!
Moscato Passito 'La Bella Estate' Vite Colte 2022
4/5
Bibenda
2/3
Gambero Rosso
91/100
Veronelli
Vite Colte
2022 | 75 cl / 11% | Piemonte (Italy)
26,00 
26,00 
Only 2 left!
Albana di Romagna Passito Fattoria Monticino Rosso 2020 - 50cl
2/3
Gambero Rosso
3/4
Vitae AIS
90/100
Veronelli
Fattoria Monticino Rosso
2020 | 50 cl / 13.5% | Emilia Romagna (Italy)
23,30 
23,30 
Moscato Giallo Cantina di Caldaro Kaltern 2024
Cantina di Caldaro - Kellerei Kaltern
2024 | 75 cl / 12.5% | Alto Adige (Italy)
12,70 
12,70 
Moscato Rosa 'Pasithea Rosa' Girlan 2023 - 37.5cl
Girlan
2023 | / 13% | Alto Adige (Italy)
27,50 
27,50 
Moscato d'Asti Magnum La Caudrina 2024
2/3
Gambero Rosso
La Caudrina
2024 | 150 cl / 5% | Piemonte (Italy)
22,90 
22,90 
Moscato di Pantelleria 'Kabir' Donnafugata 2024 - 75cl
91/100
Robert Parker
Donnafugata
2024 | 75 cl / 11.5% | Sicilia (Italy)
22,90 
22,90 
Pass the Cookies Di Lenardo - 50cl
2/3
Gambero Rosso
Di Lenardo
50 cl / 12% | Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy)
14,10 
14,10 
Last One Left!
Passito 'Clematis' Zaccagnini 2015 - 37.5cl
4/4
Vitae AIS
4/5
Bibenda
Zaccagnini
2015 | 37.5 cl / 13% | Abruzzo (Italy)
44,00 
44,00 
Moscato Giallo Cantina di Caldaro Kaltern 2023
Cantina di Caldaro - Kellerei Kaltern
2023 | 75 cl / 12.5% | Alto Adige (Italy)
13,00 €11,10 
11,10 
Passito 'Clematis' Zaccagnini 2016 - 37.5cl
4/4
Vitae AIS
4/5
Bibenda
Zaccagnini
2016 | / 13% | Abruzzo (Italy)
43,50 
43,50 
Picolit Dario Coos 2020 - 50cl
4/5
Bibenda
3/4
Vitae AIS
91/100
Veronelli
Coos Dario
2020 | 50 cl / 13.5% | Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy)
40,50 
40,50 
Ramandolo Vendemmia Tardiva Dario Coos 2022 - 50cl
91/100
Veronelli
2/3
Gambero Rosso
Coos Dario
2022 | 50 cl / 13.5% | Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy)
23,00 
23,00 
Passito di Pantelleria 'Nes' Pellegrino 2023
Pellegrino
2023 | 50 cl / 14.5% | Sicilia (Italy)
30,50 
30,50 
Torcolato di Breganze Maculan 2022 - 75cl
94/100
James Suckling
95/100
Veronelli
2/3
Gambero Rosso
Maculan
2022 | 75 cl / 14% | Veneto (Italy)
39,00 
39,00 
Only 2 left!
Moscato d'Asti 'Sourgal' Magnum Elio Perrone 2024
3/4
Vitae AIS
4/5
Bibenda
1/3
Slowine
Perrone Elio
2024 | 150 cl / 5% | Piemonte (Italy)
24,70 
24,70 
Only 3 left!
Passito di Pantelleria 'Mueggen' Salvatore Murana 2014 - 50cl
Murana Salvatore
2014 | 50 cl / 15% | Sicilia (Italy)
38,60 
38,60 
Only 2 left!
Moscato Rosa Franz Haas 2024 - 50cl
4/5
Bibenda
92/100
James Suckling
Franz Haas
2024 | 50 cl / 10.5% | Alto Adige (Italy)
33,50 
33,50 
Passito di Pantelleria 'Decennale' Ferrandes 2014 - 37.5cl
Ferrandes
2014 | / 14.5% | Sicilia (Italy)
58,00 
58,00 
Passito di Nocera 'Kio' Cambria 2018 - 37.5cl
4/5
Bibenda
Cambria
2018 | 37.5 cl / 14.5% | Sicilia (Italy)
31,70 
31,70 
Only 2 left!
Passito di Caluso 'Sulé' Orsolani 2019 - 37.5cl
5/5
Bibenda
3/4
Vitae AIS
2/3
Gambero Rosso
Orsolani
2019 | 37.5 cl / 13% | Piemonte (Italy)
26,90 
26,90 
Sauternes 'Castelnau' Chateau Suduiraut 2022 - 37.5cl
Château Suduiraut
2022 | / 13.5% | Bordeaux (France)
26,90 
26,90 
Moscato d'Asti Canelli 'Suri Sandrinet' Cascina Cerutti 2023
2/3
Gambero Rosso
Cascina Cerutti
2023 | 75 cl / 5% | Piemonte (Italy)
11,50 €10,40 
10,40 

Historical Origins and Curiosities

It is now well established that the first enological expressions in history had to be characterised by a sugary taste, often obtained with the addition of aromas and spices. The specific and exact knowledge of the chemical transformations that take place during fermentation was only achieved in the 19th century, thanks to Pasteur's studies that inaugurated modern enological science. In ancient times, the production process was in fact the prerogative of local farmers and priests who, lacking chemical knowledge, rarely succeeded in transforming all the sugars in the must into alcohol and often flavoured the products with honey and spices.

Early historical and literary evidence is clear: Hittite mythology, Greek stories about Dionysus and the ambrosia drunk by the Olympian gods, Roman treatises and even the Bible. The Ancient Romans, for example, distinguished between mulsum, made with honey, passum, made from dried grapes, and rosatum, a highly spiced drink favoured by Emperor Heliogabalus, who proposed adding chopped pine cones and resin. At that time, in the absence of other enological knowledge, the operation of flavouring red or white wine was also born from the need to improve the product and make it more pleasant. Today this practice is limited to the production of certain niche types, such as Vermouth or Barolo Chinato. This type is now produced using more refined techniques, aimed at enhancing the sugars naturally present in the grapes. Some sweet sparkling wines, such as Moscato, Brachetto and Malvasia di Candia, are in fact the result of incomplete fermentation. Technically they can be defined as partially fermented musts, still rich in sugar and with a low alcohol content.

It is a different matter for passito or dessert wines, such as the Sicilian sweet wine par excellence, the Passito di Pantelleria, made from musts obtained by pressing bunches of grapes left to dry in the sun and wind on traditional racks, according to an ancient Arab tradition. The dehydration of the grapes is in fact responsible for the evaporation of water and the concentration of sugars. The must obtained is therefore limited in quantity, but particularly concentrated. The production of French Sauternes and blended wines is based on the same criterion, the only difference being that the dehydration of the grape and the concentration of sugar is in this case due to the action of a parasitic bacterium, Botrytis Cinerea, called 'noble rot' because it allows elegant and fascinating productions of the highest level. This type differs from liqueur wine, also called fortified wine, because it does not allow the addition of alcohol or other spices. We are talking about one of the oldest types of wine in the history of mankind.



Canonical or Unpredictable Pairings?

Contrary to popular belief, sweet wine lends itself to a huge number of combinations. Common sense seems to allow only the combination with desserts, but it is necessary to establish some differences. Aromatic whites, such as sweet Muscat wine, for example, are very fresh, straightforward and easy to drink, and are particularly suitable with leavened delicacies such as panettone and pandoro. A fruit tart or homemade cake with jam can be enhanced by aromatic reds such as Brachetto d'Aqui, Sangue di Giuda dell'Oltrepò Pavese or Moscato Rosa del Trentino Alto Adige. Chocolate or cocoa-based dishes, such as Sacher cake, tenerina, panforte, panpepato, tiramisù and tronchetti, require more structured combinations, such as a robust and very aged vinsanto or a red passito, perhaps based on Sagrantino or Cannonau. Very intense, full-bodied and concentrated, the passito wines of southern Italy, particularly Sicily, are excellent with the famous local delicacies, such as ricotta cheese or dried or candied fruit.

The Sauternes, like all botrytised wines, is a sweet wine with a nice freshness and not a lot of residual sugar, which is why it is traditionally served with mature cheeses and foie gras. Many sweet Mosel Rieslings, on the other hand, supported by a significant and elegant acidity, are excellent with spicy foods and, for this reason, are served with great success alongside many Oriental specialities, in particular with dishes rich in curry and chilli peppers. In fact, the trend that is gaining momentum, and which has been acclaimed by gourmets all over the world, is to dare to make unexpected and once unthinkable combinations. So, more and more often, Passito di Pantelleria is drunk with blue cheeses such as gorgonzola, Sauternes with oysters and, brace yourselves, Moscato d'Asti with figs and fresh salami. The number of combinations is infinite and there is no limit to the imagination; the important thing is to follow certain criteria such as those of contrast, analogy or compensation.

Buy sweet wines on offer from the Callmewine online store, which offers a huge selection for sale. Discover prices, characteristics, history and combinations and buy the most suitable bottle for any occasion, such as a romantic dinner, a party or a formal gathering.

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