WHEN was the last time you had a pudding wine? It seems like a description from the days of Downton Abbey doesn't it? This is probably why most vineyards and wine merchants now refer to them as dessert wines. To be honest, though, that still doesn't do them justice because this gorgeous style can be enjoyed at any time, with or without spotted Dick.
The description covers a whole range of styles by the way and it varies around the world. In the States, for example, any high alcohol wine, even ports and sherries, tend to be classed as pudding wines but, for me, the style should be reserved for the late harvest or botrytised whites.
In a nutshell, late harvest wines are created from grapes that have been allowed to naturally dehydrate on the vine. Botrytis or noble rot is a mould that develops and causes the grapes to lose nearly all their water content, leaving them naturally incredibly sweet. The production method results in low yields which is one of a number of reasons why the wines are so expensive but don't let that put you off a rare treat.
Despite being so sweet, these wines retain a level of acidity that makes them refreshing and it's that balance that means these wines are not one-trick ponies. Yes, they are at home when paired with sweet puds but if you chill them to the bone, they also make cracking aperitif wines on a hot summer's day.
Follow me on twitter @gerardfinewine
Royal Tokaji Late Harvest 2017
Floral nose with ripe peaches and tropical fruits on the palate. There's a lovely crispness to the finish which makes this as good with blue cheese as it is with sticky toffee pudding.
Majestic £10.99 mixed six or £12.99 per 50cl bottle
Tesco Finest Sauterne
I tried this a year ago and was taken aback. Sauterne at this price? It has to be rubbish right? How wrong was I. Citrus and floral aromas on the nose with peaches and sweet apricots on the palate. Serve chilled to the bone for a real treat.
Tesco £12 per 37.5cl
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here