Late harvest wines feature a golden color with tastes of apricots and flowers besides rich and deep flavors of honey. This is a type of dessert wine appreciated for its characteristics, winemaking, and rich sweet tastes. Read on to find out all about it in the following article.
Why Harvest Grapes Late?
The popularity of late harvest wines is due to their unique production that halves the harvest amount and amplifies the fermentation time.
Take a look why grapes are harvested late.
- Ripening: Harvest is delayed by up to two months to let the grapes absorb more sun and continue ripening.
- Sugary: Grapes retain more sugar, which increases the ABV and sweetness.
- Fungus: With the right conditions, the overripe grapes are attacked by a noble fungus named Botrytis cinerea, which adds to its tastes and rarity.
How Is Late Harvest Wine Made?
One of the unique winemaking processes that has stood the test of time is late harvesting technique. Take a look at ten steps of making late harvest wines.
- Grape is left to hang on the wine to ripen more.
- Sugar in the grapes concentrates and doubles, making it ideal for boosting alcohol content and sweetness.
- Grapes naturally dehydrate up to 40% to create a raisin-like texture.
- In humid climates, this creates the noble rot fungus Botrytis, which dehydrates the grapes furthermore.
- In cold climates, the grapes are left to freeze on the wines.
- After harvesting, the grapes are de-stemmed.
- Grapes are then pressed and allowed to soak in its own cool juices.
- The juice is then transferred into barrels for fermentation.
- Once complete, aging processes are implemented.
- The wine is bottled, cased, and delivered to you.
What Are The Common Types of Late Harvest Wine
Served in petite dessert wine or white wine glasses, uncover some of the late harvest wine varieties below.
Riesling
This is an excellent varietal for late harvest because it combats loss of acidity post ripeness given it’s naturally high in acidity. Popular Riesling producing regions include Germany, France, the United States, and France.
Expect honeyed notes of apricot, lemon, and ginger with a sweet and zesty aftertaste. The wine pairs with lemony cakes and pies.
Vidal Blanc
As famous as Vidal wine, Vidal Blanc is a rare hybrid white grape known to resist cold climates. Hence, it is left on the wine until the winter snow. The Vidal varietal is perfect for making ice wines and comes from the cold regions of Canada and New York.
You will notice tastes of vanilla and marmalade with a smooth finish of orange in this wine that goes well with grainy cheese and macaroons.
Sauternes
A variety of French dessert wine from the Sauternais region in Bordeaux, Sauternes is produced from three types of grapes: Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, and Semillon. The interesting thing is that it undergoes Botrytis, making it extra-sweet.
At its peak of taste, Sauternes features notes of zesty curd, honey, and golden apples. The wine complements dishes like foie gras and custard.
Muscat
Depending on where it’s from, late harvesting techniques of Muscat vary. This is why the Vino Santo Style from Italy is fermented for up to four years for perfumed tastes while US Muscat wines feature an orange scent and Australian varieties are favored for their superlative sweetness. Grecian Muscat is floral with tastes ranging from sweet to dry. Enjoy this dessert wine with sweet biscuits.
Popular Late Harvest Wines From The Best Wine Clubs
What is a wine club? It is a heaven for wine lovers. If you’re new to late harvest wines, you can skip the hassles and order the best late harvest wines from the best wine clubs online.
The California Wine Club
One of the best red wine clubs online, the California Wine Club features the Zinfandel from Gordian Knot Winery. This award winning wine shows aromatic fruity flavors that pairs well with ice creams of all shapes and sizes.
Winc
A medium bodied eco-friendly wine from Winc, Au-Delà® Semillon tastes of butterscotch and honey. The Santa Barbara County wine complements cheeses and fruits.
VineBox
Get your hands on the Italian Barola Ravera from Giovanni Abrigo that tastes of cherries and wet leather. This late harvest silky vial of vino works well with prosciutto and risottos.
Bottom Line
Served chilled at 70C, late harvest wines are produced by letting the grapes stay past their ripeness into the winter or humid months. The popular and rare dessert wines are revered for its sweetness given it’s palatable with meats and dessert alike.
Start tasting these delights by ordering from a white or red wine club online.