As we continue our wine series, we’ll introduce the sweeter variety. As we stated in our last post, wines containing 35 grams of residual sugar or more are defined as “sweet.” Although everyone has a different palate, many people start off drinking sweeter wines before diving into the more dry zesty whites.

With that being said, let’s get right into some of the more popular “sweet” white wine options (the list isn’t limited to just these though!):

Moscato (Muscat Blanc):

Usually Moscato wine comes from a grape variety in Italy and is usually considered to be fresh and light. Moscato can be sparkling, still, or fortified, but Moscato d’Asti is the most common (which is typically what we all think of when we hear the word anyway). With fruity flavors that some liken to apple or grape juices, Moscato wine has a low alcohol content and works well with dessert like an Apple Crostata – but surprisingly, is also a fantastic pairing with lighter meat like chicken or even seafood.

Some of our favorite recipes to pair with this wine are our Lemon-Tarragon Roast Chicken with Veggies and Classic Shrimp Scampi.

Riesling:

Grown in Germany, this white wine is probably one of the most heavily influenced by the soil it grows in – which means it can be filled with a number of different fruity and floral flavors. Because of its ability to balance with a range of food types, Riesling wine is hailed as being one of the most refreshing in the world.

Again, this wine is very light and works extremely well with our spicy recipes like Easy Thai Satay Chicken and our Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Orange Curry Sauce!

Gewurztraminer:

Pronounced “guh-voorts-truh-meener,” this sweet wine has a higher alcohol content than Moscato with even lower acidity. Gewurztraminer comes from the Alps and is from a surprisingly hard to find wine grape – there’s only about 20,000 acres of it around the world!

It has a tell-tale lychee smell that often includes grapefruit, rose, and ginger aromatics as well. This “adult” white wine pairs amazingly well with Circle B Ranch Pork Chops in our Cinnamon Pork Chops with Marina’s Pear Ginger Chutney recipe. People often pair Gewurztraminer with Middle Eastern cuisine as well.

Tokaji:

Tokaji sweet white wine is such a celebrated (and delicious) wine that it has its own day – December 10th! This wine actually gets its unique flavor from a fungus that comes from the grapes, making the wine very sweet. Because it is so sweet, Tokaji is better paired with savory or salty dishes rather than desserts, but it can pair well with fruits and chocolate (like our Cranberry Chutney Brownies!). For a savory recipe, check out our Circle B Ranch Savory Pork Loin!

Sauternes:

This is probably one of the most expensive sweet white wines you’ll find, and comes from France. Sauternes is set apart from the rest for its slight nuttiness that combines with flavors of peaches, apricots, and honey. Most of the time, it is sold in half-bottles of 375ml.

Many pair this wine with soft cheese, meals with a lot of spice, or tender meats. We’d recommend a beautiful meal with our Circle B pork chops with roasted brussels sprouts for a perfect pairing!

Stay tuned for the next blog post in our Circle B Ranch wine series! Next, we’ll go over sweet RED wines and their perfectly delicious pairings.