Choose a stickyand skip dessert

WINE

Dessert wines, pudding wines, sweet wines, stickies - all names for a stunning group of wines

tickies are marvellous with desserts if you pair them well, but are an equally lovely end to a meal in their own right. Pour a small glass and savour it like a fine brandy. With a wine as intense in flavour as a sticky, there’s really no need for dessert. n Noble rot These are wines made from grapes that have been affected by botrytis, more commonly known as noble rot. This is one rot that winemakers actively desire as it shrivels the grapes, intensifying the flavours and concentrating the sugars for a superb sweet wine. Great examples of noble-rot stickies are Sauternes from Bordeaux, Tokaji Aszu from Hungary and Semillon from NSW - the latter of which are very similar to the semillons from Sauternes but without the hefty price tag. n Late harvest The grapes of these wines are left to hang on the vines past the usual harvesting period, allowing them to become sweeter and more intense in flavour, resulting in a wine that is also sweeter and richer. n Icewine Icewine, or eiswein, is made from grapes that have frozen while still on the vine and

are harvested and pressed in that frozen state. As with noble rot, this intensifies the flavours and sugars. Characterised by honeysuckle, orange blossoms and honey, they are full of floral and fruity flavours. n Sweet sparkling Sweet sparkling wines are perfect for those unsure of stickies, as the bubbles and higher acidity make them taste less sweet

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than they are. Moscato d’Asti is probably the most renowned sweet sparkling - light and only slightly fizzy, it has the added bonus of being low in alcohol and therefore great for sipping away on hot, sunny days. As seen on cellarbration.com.au. Try a sticky wine at your local Cellarbrations store, or take advantage of the specials on your favourite wine, sparkling, beer and spirits, and start celebrating the festive season.

December 2014