Moscato d’Asti comes from the Piedmont region of Italy. Its sweetness is balanced by acidity and offers a bit of “frizzante” to go with its citrus fruit. It is a killer way to end a meal…palate cleansing and refreshing. When pairing this wine, look for desserts that are not overly sweet, such as berries and cream, apple tarts, or crème brûlée.

A twist on the Moscato is when it is blended with Brachetto…it’s another Piedmont grape, but this time red. I love this combination, as you get a mix of citrus fruit along with red berries.

Here’s a real sleeper: a red dessert wine made from visciola cherries. From the Marche region of Italy, it’s similar to port, but with a lower alcohol content. It’s sweet and tart all at the same time, and serving slightly chilled after dinner is a treat…it is viscous and palate filling. A slightly less viscous version can be found when it is blended with local grape, Lacrima di Morro d’Alba, which also adds an aromatic note.

Another popular after dinner wine is Vin Santo, from Tuscany. Vin Santo has an interesting process, the complete opposite of Ice Wine…instead of the grapes being harvested frozen, they are sun dried on racks or in a drying room. When they reach a raisin-like state, they are pressed, then aged in small wood barrels for several years.

Vin Santo offers flavors of caramel, hazelnut, honey, dried apricot. They can vary in sweetness, and in my mind, the better ones are more on the dry to semi-dry side. Many say they detect a bit a sherried edge in Vin Santo, which adds to its complexity. After dinner, either with cheese or biscotti, is the way to go. 

Lastly, we come to Recioto della Valpolicella, from the Veneto region of Italy. It is made in a similar process to Vin Santo, with the grapes being dried…however, as opposed to the small barrels, Recioto ages in either steel or large wooden casks.

Recioto shows intense flavors of dried fruit, spice, and chocolate, and shows more viscosity then Vin Santo. It really shines when paired with dark chocolate and any number of Italian cheeses.

 So. the next time your meal is at its end and dessert decisions need to be made, try one of these incredible dessert wines…in addition to dessert, or on its own. You will not be disappointed.

Click below for some of our favorite Italian dessert wines…

Mike Stolese is the owner of Vermont Wine Merchants, a wholesale distribution company based in Burlington.