Ladies and gentlemen! What you are witnessing is my first ever dessert and wine pairing!
Remember this post for as long as you can, because I never make desserts in my own home…which is such a shame, because I love them!
Dessert wines are so often forgotten about, and I think they could possibly be one of the most misunderstood types of wine. It never fails to amaze me that when I pour a dessert wine at tasting, some of the first words that grace the lips of the taster are “wow….it’s sweet!”.
Yes; congratulations! You managed to assert that the wine I just explained to be a DESSERT WINE, is in fact SWEET! Dessert wines are not supposed to be consumed in the same way as “regular” wines. A 2oz serving is most often more than enough.
It doesn’t take a huge amount of understanding to comprehend the wine term “late harvest”. The grapes are harvested late on the vine, in order for the sugar levels in the grapes to intensify. Some of that sugar is converted into alcohol, the rest (known as residual sugar, or “R.S.” if you want to sound cool) is left in the wine to give additional sweetness.
The Santa Julia Late Harvest Torrentes is part of the Familia Zuccardi brand out of Mendoza, Argentina. Every wine at Familia Zuccardi is from estate grown, hand-picked fruit, and is fully estate produced. In total, there are nearly 1200 acres of grapes under cultivation, 35% of which are certified organic, with the rest utilizing sustainable production methods.
The complexity on the Santa Julia Late Harvest Torrontes is through the roof!
Intense, but not cloying; the ripe peaches and apricots stay with you from start to finish. I also get a lot of candied orange and lemon rind. Not as sweet as most will be expecting! The acidity is high, and the finish is medium-long.
I don’t know what you have planned for this weekend, but you need to find a way to fit in this pairing! 35-40 minutes start-to-finish, and it’s about as perfect as pairings get! So much so, I may need to think up a whole new rating system! However; for the meantime, I’ll rate this as a:
Perfect Pairing
The Santa Julia Late Harvest Torrontes is imported by Winesellers Ltd.
Recipe for Raspberry-Glazed Peaches with Mascarpone
Serves 2.
INGREDIENTS
1. 3 firm, ripe medium peaches, peeled and halved
2. 1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3. 2 tablespoons sugar
4. 1/2 pint raspberries
5. 1/4 cup raspberry preserves
6. Mascarpone and crushed amaretti, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Butter a ceramic baking dish. In a bowl, toss the peaches with the butter and sugar. Set the peaches in the dish, and bake in the for 15 minutes, turning once, until tender.
2. Whilst all of this is happening, in a saucepan, bring the raspberries, preserves and 2 tablespoons of water to a boil. Strain the glaze into a small bowl.
3. Spoon the glaze over the peaches and bake for 15 minutes more, turning once and basting, until tender; transfer to bowls and top with a dollop of mascarpone.
4. Spoon the juices on top, garnish with amaretti and serve.
Jodi Fritch
The Santa Julia Late Harvest Torrontes is one of my favorite, most under appreciated dessert wines. A real steal and so delicious with fruit based desserts, but especially peaches/nectarines. Thanks!
Kris Chislett
Hey Jodi, thanks for the comment! This is the first time I’ve tasted it. Very impressed, especially for the price as you say! I could eat this dessert every day!