SWEET DREAMS

MARY-THERESE BLAIR gets her sticky fingers on some real stunners.

SWEET WINES HAVE many different monikers the most colloquial of which is ‘sticky’. This refers to the luscious, almostsyrupy consistency of the wine which makes it luxurious to drink, add to desserts or even cook with – I’ve heard tales of legendary glazes made with stickies.

In New Zealand, sticky or dessert wines generally fall into two categories – late harvest or botrytis. Late-harvest grapes are harvested late, so have been left to hang on the vine; over time the grapes dehydrate and what’s left in the raisined grape is high levels of natural sugar.

Botrytis wines are made from grapes that have been infected with a fungus called botrytis cinerea. Considered to be a beneficial (or noble) rot it infects the grape and causes it to dehydrate, naturally rising the sugar and acid levels in the grape.

While known as dessert wines, they’re just as well suited to a soft, gooey cheese at the end of the evening. There are some real stunners to choose from here.