After our Riesling tasting we decided to sweeten it up a bit and we moved into Dessert wines. In my opinion, there is no better way to close an evening than with an assorted cheese platter and some delicious Dessert wines. We tasted eight Dessert wines and recommended seven of them as Very Good or better.
Our winner was the 2006 Dr. Loosen “Beerenauslese” $25 from Mosel. This little 187 ml bottle really packs a flavorful punch. A little of this wine goes a long way. It is ultra sweet, well balanced, and very flavorful as it displays crisp apple like flavors with vanilla notes. We scored this wine Very Good+ or 90 points. Our second place wine also scored 90 points and was equally good. The 2006 Inniskillin “Vidal Icewine” $65 from the NiagaraPeninsula in Canada was delicious. I personally think some of the best Ice Wine in the world is made from Vidal Blanc grapes. This dessert wine is so good you could enjoy it on its own, but it would complement a sliced green apple and cheese tray as well. Our third place wine also came from Canada. The 2006 Jackson Triggs “Proprietors’ Reserve Vidal Icewine” $20 for 187ml is another Vidal Blanc based Icewine. This option is much more affordable than the Inniskillin, but not its equal. It is full bodied, rich, creamy, and has a flavor profile that is nutty with sweet apricots and peaches.
Our fourth place wine came from down under and was different as it was made from Chardonnay grapes. The 2005 Marquee “Signature Dessert Chardonnay” for $17 comes in a 375ml bottle. This wine hails from the Shoalhaven Coast in Australia. The flavor profile was a very tasty orange like flavor with a light touch of honey. We really enjoyed this different kind of dessert wine. The rest of our recommendations are as follows:
We have also tried several other Dessert wines over the last couple of months that we think you should find and try. The EOS 2006 “Tears of Dew Late Harvest Moscato” $22 is a wine that I have recommended for the last four vintages. This wine was a hit at a tasting I did this winter. The Finger Lakes makes some terrific Ice Wines. One of my favorites is the Standing Stone Vineyards 2006 “Vidal Ice”. We scored this wine Very Good+. It is a steal for $25. Another Finger Lakes discovery is the Wagner Vineyards 2007 “Riesling Ice”. We discovered this wine at the Golden Nose Awards in May. For $23 this wine is also a bargain. We scored this wine Very Good + as well.
We tried one red Dessert wine that we would recommend. It was the Carol Shelton 2006 “Black Magic Late Harvest Zinfandel” $20. This wine is balanced, syrupy, lively, rich, and lush. The flavor profile is concentrated sweet raspberry flavors with notes of fruitcake. You could drink it on its own or pour this over your favorite vanilla ice cream.
Overall, we had fun and really enjoyed this tasting. If you like sweet wines, you will love these options. Happy hunting and enjoy. Cheers, Ken
After our Riesling tasting we decided to sweeten it up a bit and we moved into Dessert wines. In my opinion, there is no better way to close an evening than with an assorted cheese platter and some delicious Dessert wines. We tasted eight Dessert wines and recommended seven of them as Very Good or better.
Our winner was the 2006 Dr. Loosen “Beerenauslese” $25 from 
Our fourth place wine came from down under and was different as it was made from Chardonnay grapes. The 2005 Marquee “Signature Dessert Chardonnay” for $17 comes in a 375ml bottle. This wine hails from the Shoalhaven Coast in Australia. The flavor profile was a very tasty orange like flavor with a light touch of honey. We really enjoyed this different kind of dessert wine. The rest of our recommendations are as follows:
We have also tried several other Dessert wines over the last couple of months that we think you should find and try.