Something Sweet
Sauterne is a sweet wine with legend swirling around it. The taste is rumored to have made a pope cry. The top tier is unaffordable to most. But there is so much more sweet Bordeaux than Sauterne, and it is attached to a more affordable price tag.
In 2009 the Unions des Grand Vin Liqoreux de Bordeaux, Sweet Bordeaux was founded. It includes the lesser-known regions of Bordeaux that focus on sweet wine. The eight regions included are Bordeaux Supérieur, Côtes de Bordeaux Sainte-Macaire, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Loupiac, Cadillac, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Cérons, and Bordeaux Moelleux. It would be an extreme exaggeration to say that most people have heard of these wines. The wine regions chose to ban together to promote better recognition of their regions focusing on sweet Bordeaux.
Like their famous neighbor, Sauterne, these wines are made from Noble Rot or Botrytis Cinerea. Botrytis, for short, is a microscopic fungus that only grows during specific weather conditions. The grapes must be healthy and fully ripe for Botrytis to correctly take hold. Humidity, usually in the form of a misty morning, allows it to develop. The afternoon needs to be warm and sunny otherwise the fungus will grow into an unpleasant rot capable of ruining the crop. With the perfect conditions the fungus will spread through the vineyard creating tiny holes in the grape skin. The grapes will shrivel, losing most of their water, concentrating the flavors and sugars left behind. Depending on the level of Botrytis, the wines made in these conditions can range from a lightly sweet aperitif wine to a rich dessert wine.
Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle are the grapes used to make sweet Bordeaux. These plantings cover 1,800 hectares or 4,400 acres which is only 2% of the total plantings in Bordeaux. Three hundred and fifty estates produce sweet wine under this moniker. It is a category worth exploring. Why not add some flare to your cheese plate or to dessert? The key to pairing these delicious wines is to remember that the wine should always be sweeter than the food. If the food is sweeter than the wine, it will make the wine taste bitter. Most importantly have fun, play with different pairings, and remember to enjoy some Sweet Bordeaux.
