DRINK DIFFERENT - A WINE FOR THOSE FESTIVE SWEETS

Christmas is coming, the time of year when all of our diets include much that is sweet – and so our thoughts turn to dessert wines.

Becoming more trendy at the moment is Montbazillac.  Situated about 50 miles east of the pudding wine heartland so Sauternes, this wine is made in the same way, with Muscadelle added to the traditional Semillon/Sauvignon mix.  The result is notes of ripe fig and almond, at a very reasonable price.  You can see why it’s popular.

But the festive season is the time to push the boat out a bit, so our December drink Different takes us to the northeast of Italy, to Soave to be precise.  Better known for its dry white wines, its native grape Garganega makes a tremendous Recioto di Soave from semi-dried grapes, which has a lovely dried fig note, with plenty of sweetness which is offset by a good level of acidity.  Relatively rare, it is worth seeking out.