Italian "Vini da Dessert"

Common Italian dessert wines include Moscato, Marsala, Vin Santo, Fragolino, and Zibibbo.

Primary flavor characteristics of dessert wines include dried fruit (raisin, apricot, fig, prune), chocolate, coffee, honey, mineral, caramel, orange, toffee, and nuts.  

Arneis, Malvirà, Saglietto, Roero Arneis 1995 (pronounced arnase). $10.49 for a half bottle at Central Market South. The bottle looks just like a Vin Santo bottle and the wine is light. It is made in Canale in Piedmont, Italy. Arneis is a white wine prodeuced in the Roero zone of Piedmont from a grape called Arneis. This grape was rescued by Alfredo Currado of Vietti winery 35 years ago. Arneis is a dry to medium-dry wine with a rich texture. It is best within two years of the vintage. I don't know if that rule applies to dessert wines or not.

Brachetto d'Acqui 2002 by Marenco/Pineto. $17.99 at Grapevine. This is from Strevi, in Piedmont, Italy. It is a dark rosé color and is lightly spumante/frizzante. It is definitely sweet and smells delicious and berry-like. It smells like a good summer wine. I taste very light tannins at the end, and then the fizz. Berries and cherries. It has some flavors of strawberries and raspberries. I have also heard that it can taste like pears and green apples. This is supposed to be the same thing, according to a Sicilian, as the Fragolino in Italy. It is supposed to be good with dark chocolate, fruit salads, and desserts. I thought the dark chocolate was too strong for it. It is made in the Piedmont area of northern Italy. Banfi also makes a well-known version of this. Pineto means "pine forest." It may go with berries and green apples. 

Brachetto d'Acqui 2002 by Marenco with Caprino goat cheese. This cheese is the Italian version of chèvre. It is extremely creamy and has a light, tart, lactic aftertaste. It is not as citrusy as other fresh goat cheeses. This is actually good together. The light, sweet wine is nice with the delicate, creamy cheese. They taste both very mild together, but that's good for dessert. It is interesting together. After having tasted the Mascarpone with this wine, the Caprino seems a little more interesting. I like the salty, zesty cheese with this fizzy wine. 

Brachetto d'Acqui 2002 by Marenco with Mascarpone by Vermont Butter and Cheese Company. This cheese is more like butter than cheese. It is light, sweet (not salty), and has a heavy, lingering butter aftertaste. This is delicious together -- very strawberries and cream. The Mascarpone has a nice texture with the wine. The cheese is extremely velvety and thick and the wine is spritzy and lively. I like it. It was a little better with some sugar added to the Mascarpone.

"Il" Moscato -- "The" Sparkling wine from Italy.  Moscato delle Venezie.  $5.99 at Wiggy's (Al).  7% alcohol.  It is from the Veneto region.  It smell sweet, like a pear, and fizzy.  It is light, almost white.  It is definitely frizzante, very lightly sweet, and a little fizzy.  It also tart, which is what I had this with -- tarts.  It went well.

"Il" Moscato with Bleu d'Auvergne.  Gross!  The cheese doesn't go well with the slightly acidic wine.  It tastes good with spicy things like bakery spices.  Maybe it would be better with Gorgonzola.

La Serra Red Malvasia, $13.99 at Grapevine. Fizzy dessert red that reminded me a little of Brachetto d'Acqui.

Lambrusco Rosso Dolce Lo Duca Reggiano. $7.99 at Grapevine for a 75cl bottle. 8% alcohol. This is from Reggio Emilia/Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy. It is a light-hearted, full-bodied, semi-sweet red wine, naturally fermented and frothy, made of 100% pure Lambrusco grapes. This grape is boasts flavors of red fruits and spice, medium tannin, and fairly high acidity.The wine's bubbles and the high acidity of the dry style (of dryer Lambruscos) help cut through the rich local cuisine. Cheap Lambrusco was popular in the 80's. It is usually semi-sweet and sparkling with foamy pink froth and berry flavors.  This Lambrusco comes in what looks like a Champagne bottle with the caged cork. It looks like grape juice with light purple froth around the edge of the glass. It smells like grape juice and maybe blackberries, but more like grape juice than anything. It tastes sweet, but the finish is tart. It is on the dryer side of semi-sweet. There is a lingering sweetness. 

Lambrusco with Fontina Fontal. The cheese is creamy and super tangy. It tastes like fish or metal together. The wine makes the tanginess in the cheese taste really weird. The fizz kills the cheese. Something tastes like rotten vegetables. The vegetal smell comes out of my nose. 

Lambrusco with Parmigiano-Reggiano. I tasted this since they are made near each other. There is an aftertaste of vomit. The Lambrusco accentuates the Parmesan taste. It tastes ok at first and then bad.

Lambrusco with Pecorino Re Nero. This is ok together. It's tangy and tart and a little bitter. It's kind of boring. The flavors are gone in the wine and then it's just a glass of fizz.

Lambrusco with strawberries or rum cherries and Pecorino Toscano. I wasn't wild about the Lambrusco with the Pecorino. It was dull. I didn't see that the strawberries helped out much. I didn't try the rum cherries.  

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta. Sweet. 17% alcohol. $7.99 at Grapevine for a 750 ml bottle. This is a typical Sicilian dessert wine. It is a fortified wine made from the best grapes of Sicily by adding small amounts of grape brandy. The Marsala is then aged in large wooden barrels for one year, where it is perfectly blended. This is also dark like Coke, but it is redder than the dry version. It smells more syrupy and floral. I can't tell what kind of fruit because there is so much alcohol. This tastes a little like cherries and maybe also fish. Patrick says it tastes like Thunderbird. It is very sweet. It tastes like cough medicine and tobacco. 

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta. Sweet, with Roasted Ricotta. I kind of like these together. The cheese really improves the wine. I like the salt and the light sheepy flavor with this wine. It makes the wine taste less sweet and the spices come through. The wine still overpowers the cheese. This is good with dried cherries and probably would be nice with some nuts added, too. This was good with the dried cherries.  

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta. Sweet, with Pecorino Romano. These are ok together, but I am still getting a bitter, fishy flavor in the aftertaste. It's still ok. I probably wouldn't pair them together. I think I might like this pecorino better with a white dessert wine. 

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta. Dry. 17% alcohol. $7.99 at Grapevine for a 750 ml bottle. This is a typical Sicilian dessert wine. It is a fortified wine made from the best grapes of Sicily by adding small amounts of grape brandy. The Marsala is then aged in large wooden barrels for one year, where it is perfectly blended. This is the color of flat Coke, but with a little red in it. It has an orange rim. It smells like caramel and nuts, like maybe hazelnut. It has a fruitcake taste, so maybe it's spicy. It's not so bad. It is nice and dry in the finish, and a little tart. 

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta, Dry, with Roasted Ricotta. It totally overpowers this cheese and also there is a bitter taste. Patrick thinks its ok. The cheese mellows the wine a little.  

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta, Dry, with Pecorino Romano from Sardegna. I like this better together. The nice, nutty, salty crunchy cheese is nice with this smooth wine. I'd put these together. 

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta, Dry, with Pecorino Bigio with truffles. It's ok. The wine is stronger than the cheese. I lose the truffles. It's kind of woody tasting. 

Moscato d'Asti Batasiolo, Beni di Batasiolo. Bosc dla Rei 2002. (Tasted in 2004) $11.79 at Central Market South. 5.5% alcohol. This is from La Morra in Piedmont, Italy. The vineyards are located in a high altitude area and produce luscious, fruity dessert wines. This is supposed to be good with all sorts of desserts. It came in a bottle that looks like a Bordeaux. It is very fresh. Pear, apple, light and floral with refreshing, lemony acidity.

Moscato d'Asti Batasiolo with Caerphilly. It's ok. Some of the bitterness of the cheese goes away, but then afterwards, it comes back really strong. I like the salty cheese with the sweet wine.

Moscato d'Asti Batasiolo with Montasio. Excellent! Like mild Parmesan, nutty, lightly salty. The wine tastes so bright with this slightly rustic cheese. 

Moscato d'Asti La Serra. $12.99 or so at Grapevine. It wasn't too expensive. 5.5% alcohol. I definitely taste pear, apple, and lemon. It reminds me of a Riesling, but sweeter. It has a citrusy finish. Definitely green apple. It is very lightly frizzante. It has nice tingly bubbles that stay on the end of my tongue. 

Moscato d'Asti La Serra with Brescianella. Creamy and tangy, earthy, milky cheese. It is like a lush, mild Taleggio. It's not bad together, but it is a little astringent. The cheese is nice with the sweet fruit.

*Moscato d'Asti La Serra with Gorgonzola Dolce and ripe Bartlett pears, yellow. It is delicious with the Gorgonzola Dolce. It is very nutty and creamy. The pear is good with the sweet bubbles and the apple tastes. It tastes woody. The wine tones down the earthiness of the cheese. The cheese, wine, and pear are good together because the pear matches the wine so well in sweetness and texture. The cheese also goes ncely with the pear. 

Moscato d'Asti La Serra with Gorgonzola Dolce and Granny Smith apples. This is passable, but the apple is too tart with the wine and the cheese. 

Moscato d'Asti with Gorgonzola Dolce and strawberry. Peggy likes this a lot. It is ok, but a little weird to me. The strawberry is a lot less sweet than the wine and kind of disappears.

Moscato d'Asti La Serra with Pecorino Re Nero. Delicious! LIke Manchego and Membrillo paste. The cheese is salty, tangy, and sweet and meshes well with the wine.

Moscato d'Asti La Serra with Pecorino Re Nero and strawberry. This is nice, but the strawberry kind of washes everything away.

Moscato d'Asti La Serra with strawberries. Good. OK. 

Moscato d'Asti. Nivole Michele Chiarlo 2003. Tasted in 2004.  7% alcohol. This is from Calamandrana, Italy, in the Piedmont region. 7% alcohol. $9.99 at Central Market. It comes in a demi-bottle and has a pretty picture of a sunrise on it. It is medium-yellow with very fine bubbles. I definitely smell pear and a little citrus. Flowers, too. The carbonation is extremely light. There is something in this wine, maybe its tangy, floral quality, that really reminds me of a German wheat beer. I think it's just the yeast taste. It is really good and not too sweet. It's like a very sweet Riesling. Honey flavors. 

Moscato d'Asti with Pecorino Romano. Not bad, but not great. I feel like somebody just shook some salt in my mouth after I ate honey. This pecorino is way too rustic for the delicate little wine. 

Moscato d'Asti with la Tur by Alta Langa. Undecided. The cheese is a little too barnyardy. I think this might be good with Cravanzina, though. 

Moscato d'Asti with Pecorino con Peperoncino. Interesting. I would like this to work with the tangerines and the pecorino and moscato. 

Moscato d'Asti with raspberries. This is ok, but I don't get much sweet in the berries anymore, but they weren't too sweet to begin with. The textures are good together. The berries are tingly and the wine has a little bit of carbonation. 

Moscato d'Asti with Red Bartlett pear. It's way too sweet for this pear. All I get is the texture of the pear. 

Moscato d'Asti with honey tangerine. Delicious! This tangerine is sweet enough to work with this Moscato. 

Moscato d'Asti Marenco/Scrapona 2002 (Tasted in 2004). 5.5% alcohol. About $13 at Grapevine. It was the cheapest Moscato d'Asti I could find there. This is from Piedmont, Italy -- Strevi. This is made by the same people who did the Brachetto d'Acqui. It smells like raspberries. Sweet, nutty, slightly acidic, bubbly, and full with a taste of pears and apples, but very very ripe and sweet, like apple juice. It's almost like a cider. 

Moscato d'Asti with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Delicious, nutty cheese known for going with pears. I hope this works. It's ok. The cheese tastes a little like vomit afterwards. I like it, though. It is sharp, and then sweet. I think this would be better with a Pecorino Toscano. 

Moscato d'Asti with Montegrappa. Smooth, luscious, nutty, light Parmigiano tasting northern Italian cheese. This is excellent with the Moscato d'Asti. They just blend in with each other. The cheese is strong, but that's good with this sweet wine. The cheese tones the sugar in the wine down and brings out the acidity so it's almost like a Riesling.

Moscato d'Asti Marenco/Scrapona with Ricotta Salata. This tastes too foamy together. The flavors are ok with the salt and sweet, but it is kind of fizzy, and then the cheese gets grainy.

Moscato Rosa Trentino 2001 Zeni Rosa. Tasted in 2004. $17.49 at Central Market. 13.5% alcohol. This is from Trento, in Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy, which is north of Lago di Garda and heading towards Austria. It is up in the mountains. This wine should be served with a light chill. It is a dark rosé color in the bottle. In the glass, it looks like a light Pinot Noir, but it is a little more orange. Perfumy nose. It smells a little like roses and cassis. It is sweet, but not too sweet. It is not as bad as sweet Marsala or some of the really thick wines. The middle is a little spicy. It tastes very floral. Effervescent. The finish is dry and crisp.  

Moscato Rosa Trentino 2001 Zeni Rosa with Aged Provolone. This is ok together. The cheese is salty and sharp, and the wine is sweet with a dry finish. The cheese adds a nice earthiness to the fruits and flowers of the wine. They stand up to each other well in weight. I also like the spicy feeling of the cheese with the light effervescence. This combo with grapes is not so great. The Provolone tastes too sharp with the grapes and then the wine is just off afterwards. I don't know why, but it is not right. After I finish eating this, my mouth is all puckered up and dried out.

Moscato Rosa Trentino 2001 Zeni Rosa with Smoked Aged Provolone. Yummy, the smoke with the sweet. The finish is a little bitter, though. I like the smoke with the light tannins, but it may be too rustic for this delicate wine. 

Moscato Rosa Trentino 2001 Zeni Rosa with Fontina Fontal. This cheese is so smooth and creamy. It really coats the palate. It is passable with the wine. Sometimes the cheese seems too mild for it, but in the long run, the cheese pulls through since it coats the tongue really well. After the wine is finished, I taste a subtle creaminess from the cheese. With blackberries, this combo is ok at first, but a little too bitter. ****With red grapes, the combo is really nice. The grapes give a nice, full burst at the beginning. Then there is the smooth cheese, and then the sweet, bubbly wine. The colors are also nice together, but it is a little bitter. I think this works because the cheese is a little sweet and is very smooth. 

Try with Cravanzina and raspberries. 

Recioto della Valpolicella by Corte Rugolin, Classico 1997. (Tasted in 2004) $44.79 at Grapevine for a 50 cl bottle. 14% alcohol. This is from Valgatara, Italy, in the Veneto region. http://www.angelini-wine.com. This is 60% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara, and 10% Old Vines. The grapes are subjected to light drying so that it is like a heavier Amarone. It has a bouquet of irises, violets, wild roses, and cherries. The color is deep brick red. It has an intense flavor of baked plums, caramel and cherries. It is port-like and intense with a balanced sweet finish. It is supposed to be good with Pandoro, shortbread, cookies, and chocolate-based desserts. It is recommended that it be aged 15 years. This one is 7 years old. It is supposed to be served at 60 degrees F. It is light for a dessert wine. It is dark ruby/tawny red, has light legs, and tastes very complex. It doesn't have an overwhelming flavor, but the more you drink it, the more things jump out at you. I taste something tart and sweet, like strawberries, and then a powdery flavor in the finish that reminds me of eating flowers. It also tastes a little smoky and warm. It is very good. It seems to like cheeses.

Recioto della Valpolicella with Fontina Fontal. The Fontina is semi-soft, creamy, and tangy. This is really good together, but the wine overpowers the cheese a little. This is nice, though. The milky flavor of the cheese lasts through the wine.

Recioto della Valpolicella with Gorgonzola Montagna. Gorgonzola is spicy, salty, and creamy. This is good together, too, but the wine really brings out the spice flavor. 

Recioto della Valpolicella with Piave. This is delicious together. The cheese is semi-hard and nutty. It reminds me of a light Parmigiano-Reggiano. When I drink the wine with it, the nutty flavor in the cheese jumps out and the sugar is tamed in the wine. 

Recioto with Robiola Bosina. This isn't perfect, but it's not awful either. The cheese is soft-ripened and a little fragrant. The white mold in the cheese makes the wine taste a little sharp and spicy, but overall, it blends.

Vin Santo Bardoncini, Vino Liquoroso. $10.79 for a half bottle at Central Market South. 16% alcohol. On the bottle, it says that this is the wine of reception and courtesy in Tuscany. It is from Arezzo, Italy. They told me to put this in the fridge for about 30 min. before serving.

Vin Santo del Chianti Classico 1996. Dessert wine by San Felice 1996. (Tasted in 2004) $25.99 at Central Market for a half bottle. 15% alcohol. Vin Santo is made with Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes harvested late September and left to dry in aerated rooms until January. It ages for over four years in 60 gallon French oak barrels. This Vin Santo belongs to the Chianti Classico region. Vin Santo means "holy wine." It is a famous Tuscan dessert wine made within the Chianti Classico zone. This wine is made by drying the grapes for several months before pressing them so their sugar is more concentrated. The wine is then aged in small barrels for several years, sometimes re-fermenting in the process. The resulting color is amber. It also develops characteristics of oxidation such as a nutty aroma and amber color. Vin Santo ranges from dry to sweet, and can even be pink of red grapes are in the mix. This wine is really good. It smells sweet and nutty, like hazelnuts. I also smell caramel and almonds. It is light amber in color. Or maybe golden amber, like a golden pee color. There is a burnt caramel aftertaste with some tartness on the finish. Ginger and cinnamon. It would be good with biscotti. It has a nutty flavor that stays in your mouth.

Vin Santo with Parmigiano-Reggiano. It tastes like spicy vomit.

Vin Santo with Pecorino con Peperoncino. Yuck! It tastes like old stale corn tortillas together.

Vin Santo with Smoked Provolone. I thought the burnt caramel would go well with the smoke, but it's a little too bitter. 

Vin Santo and dried mango. This didn't work out either, but I forgot why. It made me make a face.

I'm working on an Italian dessert wine/fruit/cheese class, so below are notes on various combinations.

Roasted Ricotta and Raspberries. Nice texture together, but it made the raspberries not taste sweet at all. 

Asiago Fresco with raspberries. Nice creamy cheese and fresh, tart fruit. I like this together ok, but it's not perfect. The cheese tastes a little funky, like really creamy, almost mayonnaisy. I think the raspberries are going better with a firmer cheese, though.

Asiago Fresco with blackberries. This makes no sense whatsoever together. The cheese disappears. It's boring. 

La Tur with raspberries. This is ok, though the cheese is way too strong. Cravanzina would probably go better with raspberries. 

La Tur with Red Bartlett pear. Kind of nice, but the pear wipes out the cheese. Probably a harder cheese would be better with this pear. I think that the lighter, creamier cheeses are nice with berries. Harder cheeses, with harder fruits. It makes sense given the whole "strawberries and cream" ideal.

Pecorino Toscano with blackberries. Not so great, but not so bad. The sheep cheese stands up to the strong blackberry flavor better. 

**Pecorino Romano with blackberries. Yum! This is really really good together. The salty, sheepy cheese is excellent with the rich, lush, dark fruit of the blackberry. Both are equal strengths. Hopefully we can find a wine for this. 

Pecorino Fi Anno with blackberries. This is good, but I really liked the Romano with the blackberries better because it was so much saltier and more robust. This cheese has a nice, earthy, yet delicate, sheep flavor, but it is too subtle for the crazy fruit. 

Roasted Ricotta with dried Mangos. Yum! I love this. This is absolutely perfect. The mangos are sweet and tropical tasting, and the cheese is light and sheepy, and even a little nutty. This is delicious. If only it would go with a wine!

Pecorino con Peperoncino with Tangerines. It's ok, but I lose the sheep and pepper flavor. Still, it's good. I like this where I drink the Moscato d'Asti first, then take a bite of the Pecorino con Peperoncino, and then have a tangerine. 

****Dried Mango with Pecorino con Peperoncino. I like this, and with the Moscato d'Asti. The cheese and fruit together are excellent -- a little like the Manchego (sheepy, nutty, light, milky) with the Membrillo paste (concentrated, exotic, and fruity)...along with the subtle aftertaste of red peppers. This goes very nicely with the Moscato d'Asti, which is light, slightly carbonated, honey-like (also good with sheep), and sweet. The wine tastes less sweet with the other two going on, but it is really good. 

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta. Sweet, with raspberries. Yuck! This just kills the taste of the raspberries. I think this sweet wine needs nuts or something. 

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta. Sweet, with blackberries. Not very interesting at all. I love blackberries, and I don't taste them at all with this wine. 

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta. Sweet, with dried mangos. Ick. These mangos seem like they would be better with a white wine. 

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta. Sweet, with dried cherries. Delicious! They really compliment each other. It brings out the nuts in the wine and the dark, slightly bitter cherry flavors go well together. I tried to put these with the Pecorino Romano, but I didn't like the cheese with it. 

Marsala Fine by Frazzitta. Sweet, with dried cranberries. OK, but the dried cherries were better.

Brachetto d'Acqui 2002 by Marenco/Pineto  with white grapes. This is alright, but I don't taste much more than the fruit pulp after I take a taste of wine. The tart grapes cut down the sweetness of the wine.  

Brachetto d'Acqui 2002 by Marenco/Pineto  with red grapes. These grapes are the same color as the wine. They really have a lot of tannins in the skin, even though they are light red grapes. It's still ok, but a little too dry feeling at the end. The bubbles and all the dryness are a little weird. The white grape went better with it, which is silly since this is a red wine.

Brachetto d'Acqui 2002 by Marenco/Pineto  with white grapes and Caprino cheese. This is nasty with the cheese added to it. The fruit is way too juicy and the cheese is to creamy. With the fizzy wine, it makes a really bad texture in my mouth. It needs a firmer cheese. It is ok if you eat the cheese first, then drink the wine, and then the grape, but the juicy grape pretty much wipes out the two previous flavors.

Brachetto d'Acqui 2002 by Marenco/Pineto  with red grapes and Caprino cheese. I like it better followed by a red grape, but it's still not great. It's too astringent. I think some other fruit might be better, like maybe a berry.

-Brachetto d'Acqui 2002 by Marenco/Pineto  with Caprino goat cheese and raspberries. This is ok, but the raspberries lose their sweetness when put up against this wine. The raspberries taste too tart. They might be better with this combo if they had some sugar on them or were splashed with the wine. Yes, it's much better with a little sugar sprinkled on it. 

Brachetto d'Acqui 2002 by Marenco/Pineto  with Caprino goat cheese and strawberries. Same thing as with the strawberries. The wine and the goat cheese are really interesting together. The goat cheese is nice and salty and tangy, which is nice with the fruity wine. Then, when the big, watery strawberry comes along, it doesn't match up with the rest. It is too tart and watery. I like it best with a little sugar on it. 

-Brachetto d'Acqui 2002 by Marenco/Pineto  with Mascarpone and raspberries. This is a good combo. The fruity, tart wine is really nice with the thick aftertaste of cream. It is all very light together. However, the Mascarpone is not as interesting as the goat cheese is with it. Nice texture. I think it works best when I eat the berry first, then the cheese, and end up with the wine. 

Brachetto d'Acqui 2002 by Marenco/Pineto  with Mascarpone and strawberries. Again, the strawberries are ok, but taste like they have no sugar at all in them compared to the sweet wine. They just taste like tart cellulose. The texture is nice, though. This is perfect with the slightest sprinkling of sugar on the strawberry. This wine may go best with the strawberry since it is milder. I can't tell. Berry, cheese, and then wine. It is nice like that. 

Pecorino Re Nero with Bartlett pear. Delicious! This is the best together because the pear is soft and sweet and the cheese is so tangy. Excellent.