Colloquial term for alcoholic drinks that are served with dessert, but some are also served as an aperitif (before a meal) or digestif (after a meal). Classic dessert wines are usually sweet wines or products with a high sugar and alcohol content, but they can also be dry wines. Examples of dessert wines include Ausbruch, Auslese, Beerenauslese, ice wine, liqueurs, liqueur wines, Madeira, Marsala, straw wine, Samos, sherry, passito, port, Tokay, Trockenbeerenauslese, Vin doux naturel, Vinsanto, Vin Santo and Vermouth.
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The glossary is a monumental achievement and one of the most important contributions to wine knowledge. Of all the encyclopaedias I use on the subject of wine, it is by far the most important. That was the case ten years ago and it hasn't changed since.
Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena