Term for a sweet wine made from raisined or dried grapes. Such wines were already produced in ancient times. There are different methods for this. The late-harvested grapes are air-dried for a long time (weeks to months) on straw mats, reeds (hence reed wine) or - as shown in the picture - on wooden racks in covered outdoor areas or in suitable rooms. The removal of water results in extremely high sugar and total extract values. In Austria, straw wine is a Prädikat wine type. Other wines produced in a similar form are Commandaria from Cyprus, Samos and Vinsanto from Greece, wines produced using the Passito or Recioto method from Italy and Vin de paille from France.
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Sigi Hiss
freier Autor und Weinberater (Fine, Vinum u.a.), Bad Krozingen