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Five years ago, I’d eat at this Italian restaurant, ‘Ciao Roma’, with my best friend. We lunched together to discuss many topics like college goings-on, course learnings, what was new in the city, where to go and so on. Every week, without fail. I remember staring at the display of lip-smacking pastries inside the restaurant, but never losing the connection with my absolute favourite choice - chocolate gateau. Now, as delicious as that was, what came along with it was even better. A glass of Moscato.
Yes, that was the end of every meal. Truth be confessed, I do not like wine. I don’t even drink wine. But, I long for a sip of dessert wine every now and then when I start to miss it. I don’t know why I took that experience with me everywhere. That experience of discovering that I love dessert wine. I had learned something new about myself.
When I came back home, I did not find dessert wine anywhere, nor did I make any special efforts to buy it for myself. But I remember feeling how much I wanted to taste it again. People may have the same reaction when they try red or white wine. But I don’t think any wine makes me curious. If you say dessert wine, then sure, I’m up for a glass.
Photo: Jill Burrow
Here’s what makes dessert wine tastier, according to me.
Dessert wines are meant to be enjoyed in smaller quantities. For teetotallers like myself, it is a perfect choice. I find wine bitter. No matter how much I try and convince myself, I cannot drink it. For me, understanding wine is as complex as math. So, that’s why you can pour me some dessert wine instead. To me, that experience is akin to a big wine tasting. The only difference is that I just want to sit back and transport myself to Italy or France or any faraway land. I don’t care what’s in my wine, how it was made and so on.
I think that if I were to ask myself how to define dessert wine, I’d only come up with one answer: that it is sweet, very sweet. And perhaps that is how I’ll be able to explain dessert wine to someone else, too. I don't think the purpose of dessert wine is to create this explosion of over-sweetness. Not all dessert wines are supposed to be very high on sweetness. That glass of Moscato I loved to drink was balanced in sweetness. One cannot make a chocolate dessert even sweeter than what it already is, after all. So one thing’s for sure: adding a glass of dessert wine, if chosen correctly, can definitely brighten your experience!
