Vin Doux Naturel
Vin Doux Naturel (abbreviation VDN ) is a fortified sweet wine from the south of France from the liqueur wine family . Literally translated the term means "natural sweet wine".
Manufacturing
When Vin Doux Natural which is fermentation of the wine , that is the conversion of the pressed juice of the grape existing sugar in ethanol , stopped by addition of high-percentage alcohol drinking. This means that much of the natural, original sweetness of the grape is retained in the wine (see also residual sugar ). The production method was discovered in the 13th century by the chemist and scholar of the University of Montpellier Arnaud de Villeneuve ; in France it is called mutage .
Characteristics
Compared to port wine and Madeira , the Vin Doux Naturel (VDN for short) has a slightly lower alcohol content of 15 to 18% by volume. The residual sugar content is at least 45 g / liter, but with certain Muscat varieties it can rise to over 100 g / l. Depending on their origin, the grape varieties Grenache , Grenache Gris , Grenache Blanc , Macabeo , Tourbat , Muscat blanc à petits grains and Muscat d'Alexandrie are permitted.
marketing
The wines made from the fruity Muscatel varieties usually come onto the market relatively early, while other varieties are aged in wooden barrels for up to 30 months and have a very high life expectancy of 40 years and more. They often need several years to mature in order to achieve a taste harmony between alcohol and sweetness.
Appellations in which the Vins Doux Naturels are made are Banyuls , Rivesaltes , Muscat de Rivesaltes , Maury , Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise , Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois , Muscat de Frontignan , Muscat de Mireval , Muscat de Lunel , Muscat du Cap Corse and Rasteau .
literature
- Jancis Robinson : The Oxford Wine Lexicon . Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-7742-0914-6 .
- Pierre Galet : Cépages et Vignobles de France . Lavoisier Publishing House, Paris 2004, ISBN 2-7430-0585-8 .
- Benoît France: Grand Atlas des Vignobles de France . Éditions SOLAR publishing house, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-263-03242-8 .
