One of the top reasons people enjoy the month of October is because of the last couple of weekends of the month when celebrating Halloween in style. In addition to costume styles, Halloween enthusiasts love the baked treats, candy treats, the spookiness and for those coming to Gervasi Vineyard and Resort & Spa, the sweet wines.

The Cave Operations Manager, Eric Rabin, said, “ We have a mix of guests who enjoy sweet and dry wines when visiting Gervasi Vineyard. Most guests who sway more towards the sweet side are uncomfortable with the tannins in red wines and the high acidity associated with all wines.

“Red wines usually have a higher alcohol content, are drier with less sugar content and contain a fair amount of tannins. Tannins are astringent and make your mouth feel sticky, and if you’re not used to that sensation, it may be unpleasant. All wines are highly acidic, and adding sugar to a wine (be it red or white) cuts the acid in the wine and makes it more enjoyable for those who aren’t used to the highly acidic environment that is wine.

“As a wine drinker, you need to experiment and try different styles of wine to challenge your palate. Never judge a wine by its first sip. Wait until the third sip so your palate is primed for the acid in the wine.”

 

For the Love of GV Sweat Wines and Halloween Celebrations

Give a new meaning to chilling this Halloween by chilling your sweet, white wines from GV before your Halloween celebration.

“While you can drink a sweet wine any time of the year, in the fall you’ll want to choose a sweet wine that has notes of baking spices, apples, or barrel-aged wines. The barrel and the baking spices will be reminiscent of the foods associated with fall,” Eric said.

Starting with the least sweet to the sweetest, meet the Gervasi sweet wines listed below:

  • Piove, and off-dry Riesling which means Raining in Italian. Pear, apple, peach, nectarine. This grape comes to us from the Grand River Valley in Northern Ohio.
  • Romanza, and off-dry rose, meaning Romance. Strawberry, red cherry, red raspberry, rose. This is primarily made from Zinfandel, from California.
  • Tesoro, an off-dry vidal blanc, its a Treasure. Honeydew and Pear. This grape is from the Grand River Valley in Northern Ohio.
  • Passione, an off-dry wine created with the Aromella grape, is all about Passion. Orange blossom, lemon zest, honey, and melon. This grape varietal is grown at Gervasi Vineyard.
  • Lascito, a medium-sweetened wine created with the Frontenac Gris grape, means Legacy. Guava, strawberry, banana, pineapple. This grape varietal is grown at Gervasi Vineyard.
  • Brigante, a sweet red blend. Red cherries, blueberries, blackberries. The primary grape is Zinfandel, from California.
  • Moscato, created from the Muscat grape. Honeysuckle, nectarine, peaches, tangerine. Comes to us from California.
  • Dolce Sera, a late harvest Riesling, a Sweet Evening. Red Apple, pear, baking spices, honey. Originates in Washington State.
  • Barile Sweet Riesling, a bourbon barrel aged Sweet Riesling. Pineapple, coconut, vanilla, caramel apple. Originates in Washington State.
  • Sognata, our ice wine means Dreams. Honey, dried apricots, dried tangerines, cooked pears. From the Grand River Valley, usually harvested in January.

“Out of the six flights we offer in the Cave, the sweet flight is chosen about 20% of the time. Guests love our sweet wine option and we often add a taste of our ice wine, Sognata, which means Dreams to the sample”, Eric said. “ Our sweet wines are well-crafted. They are not clawingly sweet, like some sweet wines can be. Their sweetness is in balance with their acidity, tannins(if a red wine), body and alcohol content. A balanced wine makes for a happy mouth!

Yummy Ways to Pair Sweet Wines

Eric provides this tip for pairing, “When pairing a sweet wine with food, always make sure the wine is sweeter than the dessert. If not, the wine will become bitter and tart. Foods like apple pie, pumpkin items, and fruit tarts are great with sweet wines. Sweet wines can also pair well with intense cheeses, such as gorgonzola and blue cheese.”

He added that sweet wines pair well with Halloween parties foods such as, hot dogs, chili, fall soups and pizza.

Dare to Try

Halloween is a spooky, sometimes scary, night in late October. Many resist the chance to be spooky and look scary.  While others plan their costume and celebration for months in advance.

GV dares all of its guests to celebrate the ghoulish, fang-tastic holiday with parties, spooky costumes, jack-o’-lanterns, pumpkin carvings, giving of candy and a glass of one of GV’s sweet wines.