Award in Wines & Spirits WSET® Level 2 Award in Wines & Spirits Session 9: Sweet Wines

Sweet Wines AIM: sugar to remain in the finished wine Methods Yeast dies when alcohol reaches above 15% abv Methods Interrupting the fermentation Adding a sweet component Concentration of sugars in the grapes

Interrupting the Fermentation Filtration (removing the yeast) Fortification (killing the yeast) sulfur dioxide alcohol

Adding a sweet component Unfermented grape juice (süssreserve) Adding sweet wine

Concentration of sugars in the grapes Dried Grapes late harvested healthy grapes shrivelled on the vine or dried out after picking flavours dried fruit, raisin e.g. Recioto, PX (Pedro Ximénez)

Concentration of sugars in the grapes Noble rot/Botrytis cinerea mould attacks ripe, healthy grapes which shrivel on the vine hand-harvested flavours orange marmalade, apricot, ryebread e.g. Sauternes, Tokaji, some Auslese,Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese

Concentration of sugars in the grapes Frozen Grapes healthy grapes frozen on the vine harvested in winter flavours intense pure varietal e.g. Icewine/Eiswein

Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine® APPEARANCE Clarity clear – hazy Intensity pale – medium – deep Colour white rosé red lemon – gold – amber pink – salmon – orange purple – ruby – garnet – tawny NOSE Condition clean – unclean light – medium – pronounced Aroma characteristics e.g. fruits, flowers, spices, vegetables, oak aromas, other PALATE Sweetness dry – off-dry – medium – sweet Acidity low – medium – high Tannin Body light– medium – full Flavour Characteristics e.g. fruits, flowers, spices, vegetables, oak flavours, other Finish short – medium – long CONCLUSIONS Quality faulty – poor – acceptable – good – very good – outstanding