If you have not tried Botrytis affected wine...hurry up! Do not stop at go. This wine knocked my socks off!
What the heck is it?
Botrytis, aka Noble Rot, is a fungus that is associated with some of the best sweet wines worldwide.
Why would you want your grapes to get this fungus?
Sounds awful, right? This fungus can cause harm to grapes that aren't ripe yet, but the result can be divine when it develops on ripe grapes. Noble rot does two things to the grapes.
Noble Rot concentrates the sugar in the grape, which also increases the sweetness.
It adds new flavors and aromas! Magic! To me this wine had a honey scent and apricot on the palette. Professionals will also call out ginger, butterscotch, and other aromas.
How does it happen?
Early morning fog is the key element to the development of botrytis, followed by an afternoon of balmy sun. There are not many places where this occurs naturally, but when it does, the result is simply heavenly.
Wandering Vine Notes
I am not normally a fan of sweet wines, or at least I thought I wasn't! This wine opened my eyes. Have I only tasted syrupy sweet dessert wine in the past? Or is this wine truly the "nectar of the gods"? When you first swirl your glass you will get beautiful notes of orange zest, honey, caramel, and spices. On the palate you will get a burst of apricot, pear and caramel.
I paired this wine with both sweet and savory foods because I was very curious what the impact would be on the wine.
First pairing was truffle gouda cheese. For me this was absolute perfection. It enhanced the wine and brought out the richness of the flavors. Next I tried it with a dairy free caramel ice cream. This selection didn't do a lot for the wine per se, but still enjoyed every sip!
The following night I was anxious to pair the wine with a few more things. We made mozzarella toast bites drizzled with pesto sauce. Again not sure if this is the right pairing, but the wine is so exquisite I enjoyed it no matter what the food pairings. Still learning about how to pair appropriately!
Tell me what you love or hate about dessert wine!!
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