Sweet Wines are Now the In Thing

We all make mistakes, but when an entire industry makes one, it’s a whopper. The wine industry made just such a mistake when they missed out on the newest wine craze currently sweeping the country. In the late 1970’s, the world was first introduced to the fruity and sweet blush Zinfandel and the rest is wine history. Blush Zinfandel was sweet, easy to drink, inexpensive and went well with almost everything, especially parties. Most of the vintners in California took little interest in producing wine from this “common” grape and were sure, as were all the wine gurus, that sweet wines were just a passing fad; STRIKE #1. Blush Zinfandel sales soared and the wine moved off of dealers’ shelves at light speed.

The Blush Zinfandel craze seemed unstoppable, but it was not long before consumers began to look around for “something else.” Eventually, they latched on to the Italian Asti Spumante; another sweet, fruity and affordable wine. Asti Spumante is made from the Moscato grape and most winemakers believed that it too was nothing more than an undistinguished variety that made sticky sweet wines of little character; STRIKE #2.

The economic stress of the late nineties and early 21st century coupled with a glut of wine grapes forced vintners to do anything they could to stay in business. Some turned to cheaper grapes and flashy, gaudy labels with weird names to lure customers; STRIKE #3.

To keep their brands alive, other vintners searched for anything that would help them and, knowing of the success of Blush Zinfandel, took a second look at sweet wines. The Moscato, had been known about for centuries and was a favorite in Ancient Rome. Although the wine gurus and geeks turned their noses up at the Moscato, as they did the other sweet wines, it was however, exactly what consumers wanted and after all, it is the consumer that pays the bills.

We recently came across the Sequin brand whose vintners specialize in making full flavored sweet wines. Not only do they have a fine Moscato, they also have two other sweet wines made from popular grape varieties which now offers consumers some other choices. These wines are not sweetened with sugar. They derive their sweetness by the vintners stopping fermentation before the yeast has completely converted all of the grapes natural fruit sugars to alcohol resulting in wines that are naturally sweet but of a slightly lower alcohol level.

Sequin 2012 Rosé ($11.99). We can sum this wine up in just a few words, it is a true smiley face wine . The only one who will not like this wine is the old curmudgeon down the street and truthfully, he don’t deserve it. We believe that this wine is probably the happiest wine we have ever sampled and guaranteed to liven up the even Ladies Afternoon Book Club. The flavor of this wine is alive with strawberry, lychee, raspberry and hint of cranberry. If you love the joy of life, definitely try this wine.

Sequin 2012 Pinot Grigio ($11.99). Here is an interesting twist on an old favorite, a sweet, slightly sparkling Pinot Grigio. The sweetness does not get in the way of the traditional attributes of a Pinot Grigio but rather enhances them. The flavor accents pear, crisp apple and grapefruit similar to its dry forbearer and is enhanced by the slight petulance (tiny bubbles) in the wine. This is a great sipping wine for those upcoming cooler outdoor evenings and is also perfect for the sweet oriental dishes.

Sequin 2012 Moscato ($11.99). This wine is not only fruity but it too is also slightly sparkling adding new levels of enjoyment to an old favorite. The aroma is heavy with the perfume of apricot, orange blossom and lilac. On the palate the flavors of mango and melon dominate followed by a touch of sweet citrus. This is a wine that can rival many of the expensive and even inexpensive Italian imports and does so with ease.