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All About Vins Doux Naturel And Other Sweet Or Luscious Wines

The end of year holidays bring to the fore the sweet wines, the lusciously sweet wines and the Vins Doux Naturels, which go particularly well with foie gras, desserts and other winter traditions.

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Demijohns of sweet wines

WHAT IS A VDN (VIN DOUX NATUREL)?

Vins Doux Naturels (VDN), sweet wines and luscious wines all have a late grape harvest in common. But the means used to obtain this sweetness in the glass are not the same:


Vins Doux Naturels are distinguished from sweet white wines by a method designed to stop the transformation of sugar into alcohol: this is known as mutage. After a conventional start to the vinification process, fermentation is stopped by adding neutral alcohol (at 96% vol.). The result of this technique is an exuberant bouquet and a natural sweetness that comes authentically from the fruit of the grape. They are said to be ‘natural’ because no flavouring or sugar has been added at the time of vinification. The later the mutage is carried out, the less sugar will remain in the wine. This is why there are so many nuances in the sweetness of these wines. They are, however, considered to be sweet white wines, and therefore very sweet. However, they are distinguished from ‘vins de liqueur’, which receive alcohol before fermentation begins.


The terroirs, grape varieties and ageing methods defined for each of the appellations give them their respective characteristics. Traditional ageing is usually oxidative, in barrels or tuns, which gives the wine its rancio character, its tile or amber colour and its dried fruit aromas.

WHERE DO VINS DOUX NATURELS COME FROM?

In France, Vins Doux Naturels have to come from specific geographical areas to obtain an AOC, and are produced mainly in the Languedoc and Roussillon regions, and along the Mediterranean coast. They come in three colours (red, white and rosé) and various appellations, such as Muscats de Rivesaltes and Rivesaltes (Amber, Tuilé or Rosé). The best-known VDNs are Rivesaltes, Banyuls and Banyuls Grand Cru and Maury.


In the Hérault region, Muscat grape varieties (Muscat d'Alexandrie or Muscat Blanc à petits grains) produce the finest nectars: Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de Lunel, Muscat de Mireval, Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois, while in Corsica they are known as Muscat du Cap Corse, or Muscat de Beaumes de Venise in the Rhône Valley.


Rasteau wines are also made into VDN in the latter region. They are also produced in Portugal (Madeira, Muscat de Setúbal), Italy (Marsala), Greece (Muscat de Samos) and Switzerland. These wines are mainly made from Muscat, but also from Grenache (Grenache Blanc, Grenache Noir, Grenache Gris or Malvoisie), Macabeu, Tourbat and Riveslates. These grape varieties offer tertiary aromas of coffee, cocoa, light tobacco and leather.

A glass of VDN being poured next to a full glass

Vins Doux Naturels: Shall We Taste?

Brilliant and limpid in appearance, Vins Doux Naturels reveal a range of colours in the glass, from straw yellow to the darkest amber.


Food and wine pairing: they are also great as an aperitif with foie gras, blue cheeses and even spicy Asian cuisine. Very smooth on the palate, their sweet flavour is a perfect match for chocolate or fruity desserts.


Ageing potential: they have great ageing potential, due to the sweetness of the wine and the alcohol content, which can vary from 13 to 23 degrees. They can be drunk young or aged.


Temperature: this wine tastes best when it's not served too chilled! You'll appreciate the richness of the aromas even more.

Vins doux naturels - Domaine Lafage

Maison Lafage offers a complete selection of sweet white, sweet red and amber wines, including Rivesaltes and Maury. Gourmet wines that have won unanimous awards from the press!

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Bottles of sweet white wine

WHAT ARE SWEET AND LUSCIOUS WINES?

Sweet white wines are exclusively white wines. Remember that if a white wine is sweet, it is because fermentation has not transformed all the sugar in the grapes into alcohol. If the yeasts were unable to ferment all the sugar, it's because the juice contained too much sugar, due to a late harvest of the grapes. This is known as late grape harvest.


The vinification of sweet and dessert wines is based on the principle of over-ripening of the grapes: when the grapes reach their optimum size, they have lost water and therefore become concentrated in sugar. This results in wines with a higher alcohol content, due to the richness of the sugar, known as sucrosité.


The best-known sweet white wines are : Sauternes, Coteaux du Layon, Barsac, Monbazillac, Jurançon. These wines can be drunk young or in a few years' time, as their sugar content means they can be kept for a long time.


Food and wine pairings: aperitif and foie gras, world cuisine (Asian for sweet and sour), blue cheeses (Morbier, Roquefort, etc.), fruity desserts, as an after-dinner drink.

Why are they so sweet?

The high sugar content may depend on:


  • The action of ‘noble rot’, a microscopic fungus called Botrytis Cinerea which appears on the berries when weather conditions permit.
  • The passerillage of the grapes, which can be combined with the action of Botritys, and which consists of letting the berries dry out on their feet by evaporation of the water they contain, thereby favouring the concentration of sugar and alcohol. Another method is to pick the grapes and leave them to dry out on racks (straw) in a warm, well-ventilated place.

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What's the difference between a sweet wine and a luscious wine?

Luscious wines are richer and more concentrated than simple sweet wines. Often confused, sweet wines and luscious wines are distinguished by their sugar content, with luscious wines (over 45g/litre of wine) being sweeter than sweet wines (between 10 and 45g/litre of wine).


While both styles of wine are made from over-ripe grapes, only the luscious wines are the result of noble rot, caused by the fungus Botrytis Cinerea, which concentrates the sugar in the berries. For sweet wines, the grapes are deliberately left on their feet to dehydrate in the heat.

To summarise:

  • Only VDN wines are fortified wines
  • Sweet and luscious wines can only be white wines
  • Only luscious wines come from noble rot
  • A luscious wine is sweeter than a sweet wine

Classification of sweet wines:

  • Dry wine: contains a maximum of 4 g/l of sugar
  • Demi-sec wine: contains between 4 g/l and 12 g/l
  • Sweet wine: contains more than 12 g/l and reaches a maximum of 45 g/l
  • Luscious wine: has a minimum sugar content of 45 g/l, with no upper limit

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