Sweet Italian Wines
If you are someone who typically enjoys sweet wine, you may normally avoid ordering Italian wines. After all, Italy is well known for its bold, dry red wines! However, Italian wine has more variety than many people realize. There are some really nice sweet wine varieties hailing from Italy, and they are well worth trying the next time you're craving a glass of something sweet.
Vinsanto
Vinsanto, which is sometimes sold as "vin santo," is a sweet wine typically served with dessert. It hails from Tuscany, where it is made using the Malvasia and Sangiovese grapes that are so popular in this region. Vinsanto has a dark amber color, which makes it easy to distinguish from other dessert wines. Most varieties are syrupy sweet and are therefore enjoyed from small glasses, similar to an ice wine or port. Vinsanto is traditionally served alongside biscotti, and some people even dip their biscotti into the wine.
Moscato
Moscato is one of the easiest sweet Italian wines to find in the United States. It has become really common as a summer sipping wine over the past few years. Moscato is not truly a dessert wine as it has a thinner consistency and a lower alcohol content, but it is very sweet — sweeter than the average sweet Riesling. Most varieties are white, although some are blush or red. Moscato is best enjoyed alongside fruit and creamy cheeses.
Passito
Passito is a unique Italian dessert wine that is made from dried grapes — basically raisins. Because the fruit is dried before the juice is extracted from it, the resulting wine is very thick and very sweet. It has a honey-like flavor and some subtle, underlying bitter tones that help balance out the sweetness. Passito is enjoyed from small glasses and pairs well with fruit compotes and hard cheeses. It's expensive, so it's generally reserved for special occasions.
Loazzolo
Loazzolo can be hard to find in the United States, so if you come across a bottle, take the opportunity and buy it. This sweet wine hails from the Loazzolo region, and it is unique in that it's made from aged fruit and aged in barrels for at least two years before bottling. Loazzolo is a white wine with a yellow color. It's enjoyed in small quantities and pairs well with chocolate and fruit.
Italy may be known for its dry wines, but the nation does produce some remarkable sweet wines, too. Give one or more of the above Italian sweet wines a try.