Vin Santo: a Tuscan wine made from partially raisinated grapes. Really? Really. We will explore this wonderful wine today. Thank you to Wine Folly for their help with this article.
The History of Vin Santo
Vin Santo dates back to at least the 14th century in Tuscany. The raisinating of the grapes concentrates the sugars in the must prior to fermentation. The resulting high levels of sugar or alcohol helped preserve the wine and allowed for extended periods of aging. Something good for way back when.
According to Wine-Searcher, “the origins of the name are disputed, but most agree it comes from the time when these wines were used for Holy Communion.” In fact, in England, the wine is often called Holy Wine. La Cucina Italiana says that one theory connects its production cycle to religious holidays. In some areas, it was bottled on All Saints’ Day, while in others, the grapes were pressed on Christmas or Easter.
How Is the Wine Made?
The grapes are laid out on mats or hung up inside barns to dry out over the winter. This process is known as “passito.” The raisins are then
The raisins are then pressed and placed into special barrels where they wait for a natural fermentation to begin. As the rooms increase in temperature in the spring the Vin Santo fermentation begins. It is a long and slow fermentation that can take up to 4 years to complete! This is in part why the wine is so expensive.
According to Wine Folly, because of the uncontrolled winemaking process, there is high variability between different producers. Some wines are around 18-19% alcohol and are quite dry. Others are extremely sweet and much lower in alcohol.
What Does Vin Santo Taste Like?
Wine Folly tells us that “Vin Santo is a full-bodied, typically very sweet dessert wine with aromas of hazelnut, caramel, honey, tropical fruit, perfume and dried apricot. It’s one of those wines that sticks to the side of your glass and yet, when you taste it there’s this crazy balance between its delicacy and its intensity. Because of its unusually high sweetness, you don’t need much, just a 3 oz (75 ml) pour is enough to warm you while sitting in the snow.”
Customarily, they are served with cantucci, the traditional almond biscotti of Tuscany. YUM!
