How about a sweet wine at a great price? Well, E. & J. Gallo Winery has just that.
Sweet wines, after lying in the backwaters of the wine world, are now beginning to make a place for themselves. For all too many years, sweet wines were snubbed by the wine press and wine gurus, self-proclaimed or not, as perfumed harlots, gaudy and of little interest.
The whole brouhaha over dry wines versus sweet wines began in the 12th century with the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and the future king of England, Henry Plantagenet. Gascony, which included the Bordeaux wine-making district, was part of Eleanor’s dowry and thus was added to the British dominions; thereafter, all of the area's wine exports were directed toward England.
Until the British takeover of Bordeaux, the wines made there were considerably lighter and sweeter. Slowly, the wines began to conform to a dry style that would please the British palate - a practice that has continued to today. Here, in the Colonies, we have always preferred things on the sweeter side, so it is strange that sweet wines are not more popular.
Sweet wines did, however, continue to flow from other sections of Europe that were not under British domination. The Anjou district of France is famed for its sweet wines, with the standard bearer being the celebrated wines of the Loire Valley.
Hungary is world famous for its Tokaji wines made from the local furmint grape. It is a wine so special that it was often reserved strictly for royalty when they were very ill or on their death beds.
Romania also has its famed sweet wine, Cotnari, but it is rarely seen in the United States because the preponderance of the wine that is not consumed in Romania goes east to Russia where it has become a national favorite.
With the end of the depression, sweet wines were the “in thing.” Wineries would put out wine with Hebrew lettering on the label to indicate that the wines were like the kosher type, sweet.
Only recently have sweet wines become popular. Today, the most widely planted grape variety in California is the moscato in its many incarnations. This is a sure sign of the rapid and ever-increasing popularity of sweet wines in this country.
Part of the reason that the moscato wines are so inexpensive is that the vines are prolific, very hardy, disease-resistant and will not turn around and bite the winemaker during fermentation or aging. In simple English, it is a really easy grape to work with. A side effect is that the wines are usually of a lower alcohol content than most dry wines, allowing drinkers to enjoy more of the wine without the dangers of overindulgence.
Gallo, a stalwart of the wine industry, has always had some sweet wines in its portfolio. The line has recently been increased by the addition of three very nice moscato wines.
Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato ($4.99)This wine is a golden-colored beauty that displays the aromas and flavors of peach, honey and a hint of citrus and honeysuckle.
This is the perfect wine for any spicy foods that have become so popular in recent years.
Gallo Family Vineyards Pink Moscato ($4.99) A slightly different theme of the same melody, this wine also displays the traditional moscato peach and citrus, but also shows a bit of red fruit in the flavor and finish.
For its price, it is a knockout.
Gallo Family Vineyards Red Moscato ($4.99)Here is the moscato in its red incarnation, displaying the same flavors and aromas of its lighter cousins with the inclusion of a very noticeable red berry and citrus.
This wine can serve dual service as a red wine for meals and as a red wine for heart-health medicinal purposes.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and helps manage ArticlesOnWine.com with his wife, Sheila. He can be reached at frojhe@suddenlink.net.[[In-content Ad]]
