Mistela (wine)
As Mistela in is Catalan , a fortified wine called. It is common in the Catalan-speaking area in northeastern Spain and southern France. Mistela is produced by adding alcohol to stop or completely prevent the fermentation process in grape must - the residual sugar cannot be fermented in this way. The wine is therefore very sweet and can reach a high alcohol content. Mistela is drunk as an aperitif and used to fill up and sweeten other wines.
Mistela can be made from white or red grapes. The alcohol content is usually between 15 and 20 percent by volume .
Mistela is often added to the liqueur wine Rancio there . In addition, the regulations of some Catalan DO areas ( Alella , Conca de Barberà , Empordà , Montsant , Pla de Bages , Priorat , Tarragona and Terra Alta ) contain special requirements for the production and quality of mistela (including regulations on permitted grape varieties, Minimum alcohol content of the must and alcohol content of the finished product).
| Name of the DO area | permitted grape variety | Alcohol content must | Alcohol mistela |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mistela de Alella | only white grape varieties | min. 12% vol. | 15% to 20% vol. |
| Mistela de la Conca de Barberà | no specifications | min. 12% vol. | 15% to 22% vol. |
| Vino mistela blanca del Empordà | white grape varieties recommended | min. 13% vol. | 15% to 18% vol. |
| Vino mistela tinta del Empordà | recommended red grape varieties | min. 13% vol. | 15% to 20% vol. |
| Vino mistela blanca Montsant | all white grape varieties | min. 12% vol. | 15% to 20% vol. |
| Vino mistela negra Montsant | authorized red grape varieties | min. 12% vol. | 15% to 20% vol. |
| Mistela del Pla de Bages | no specifications | min. 12% vol. | 15% to 20% vol. |
| Priory Vino mistela blanca | all white grape varieties | min. 12% vol. | 15% to 22% vol. |
| Priory Vino mistela tinta | authorized red grape varieties | min. 12.5% vol. | 15% to 22% vol. |
| Mistela de Tarragona | authorized white and red grape varieties | min. 12% vol. | 15% to 20% vol. |
| Mistela blanca Terra Alta | all white grape varieties | min. 14% vol. | 15% to 20% vol. |
| Mistela tinta Terra Alta | authorized red grape varieties | min. 14% vol. | 15% to 20% vol. |
A Criança quality level has also been defined for Mistela de Tarragona, which requires two years of aging, including one year in oak barrels.
The process for making mistela is also known in other countries, e.g. B. in Italy under the name Sifone and in France under Mistelle.
literature
- Hans Ambrosi : wine from A-Z . Gräfe and Unzer Verlag Munich, 1992, ISBN 3-7742-5535-0
- John Radford: Wine Landscape Spain . Hallwag, ISBN 3-444-10553-3
- Jancis Robinson (Ed.): The Oxford Wine Lexicon . Hallwag, Gräfe and Unzer, Munich 2006, ISBN 978-3-8338-0691-9 .