We’ve carefully selected a range of Italian dessert wines that are bound to impress guests around your Christmas table. Here’s what to look out for if you want to add some Italian flair to this year’s celebrations.
Vin Santo del Chianti
What better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than with Vin Santo? After all, the name literally means “Holy Wine”. Crafted from partially raisined grapes, this dessert wine from Chianti dates back to antiquity. Vin Santo is made in a special way that leads to really rich, deep taste.
We offer a Vin Santo wine made from Malvasia with flavours of ripe apricot, lemon zest and ruby grapefruit. Just like another popular Christmas dessert wine, sherry, Vin Santo del Chianti comes in a range of sweetness levels – ranging from bone-dry to tongue-tinglingly sweet. The medium-sweet La Castellina “Squarcialupi” Vin Santo is our personal favourite. It isn’t syrupy, but still has the perfect amount of sugar for rounding out a meal.
Recioto della Valpolicella
This intensely sweet red wine is another of the world’s oldest styles, hailing from the Veneto region. Like other types of Valpolicella, it’s predominantly made from the Corvina grape with a little Corvinone, Rondinella or Molinara if the winemaker prefers. It’s made from grapes that are dried out in fruttaio – drying lofts. In the past the whole bunches of grapes would be laid out on straw mats, a little like Jesus’ manger, but nowadays most winemakers simply use wooden pallets.
A good quality Recioto della Valpolicella will have pronounced aromas of red fruits like raspberry and Christmassy cranberry. It’s a complex wine, so expect deep fruit cake flavours like dried fig and red cherry too. There’s also a touch of leather, which adds nice savoury depth. A good bottle of Recioto della Valpolicella can happily age in a cellar for ten years, making it a fantastic gift for someone who’s starting to build their wine collection. If you’re all together in a decade you can crack it open and reminisce about Christmases gone by over a glass of perfectly aged Italian dessert wine.
Late harvest Moscato
The Moscato grape is famously known for making aromatic, sweet wines in a range of styles. During the height of summer it’s best tasted in sparkling Moscato d’Asti, which is low in alcohol and packed with light-hearted flavours like guava, candy and white blossom. As the colder nights creep in, it’s time to turn to a more hearty version – the syrupy late harvest (or Passito) wines. Of course, a glass of sparkling Moscato d’Asti is also a lovely choice for Christmas breakfast, as a Bucks Fizz alternative.
Muscat passito wines are made from grapes that are left on the vine for around a month after harvest. During this time they continue to ripen and slowly dry out, turning almost into raisins. This seriously concentrates the flavours and sugars, making for lush dessert wines that really pack a punch. Some of the best passito Moscato wines come from Sardinia. You can expect concentrated tropical aromas such as mango and pineapple along with the sweetness of honey and caramel.
Looking for an Italian dessert wine with a difference? Keep your eyes peeled for rare rosé dessert wines made from the pink Moscato Rosa grape. This grape is very rare. Usually hailing from Italy’s north – Alto Adige, Trentino and Lombardia – these offer more red fruit flavours such as pomegranate and strawberry jam, as well as a festive kick of mulled wine spice.
Try an Italian dessert wine this Christmas
Have we convinced you? Whether you prefer luscious whites with tropical notes or are dreaming of a spicy red, our collection of Italian dessert wines from boutique producers will bring something unique to your festive gathering.