Vin Santo Liqouroso (Italy)
Fortified Vin Santo is usually labelled Vin Santo Liquoroso
In Tuscany you drink Vin Santo with Cantucci (Almond Biscuits)
Serving Temperature
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13-14°C (55-57°F) |
Flavors
 Orange Zest |
 Apricot |
 Tropical Fruit |
 Raisins |
 Figs |
 Nuts |
 Caramel |
 Honey |
 Herbal |
 Truffle |
 Licorice |
 Mineral |
Typical flavors of Vin Santo wines are: Citrus. Apricot. Tropical Fruit. Dried Fruit. Caramel. Honey. Cream. Herbal. Earthy. Smoke. Spices. Licorice and Mineral.
Food Pairing Vin Santo
 Meditation |
 Cantucci Biscuits |
 Foie Gras |
 Blue Cheese |
Vin Santo is a good match to Foie Gras. Paté. Biscotti. Cantucci. Italian Torte (Cakes). Panforte. Nut Cakes. Walnut Tart. Peacan Pie. Christmas Desserts. Dark Chocolate. Dried Fruit. Blue Cheese. Roquefort.
The wine should always be as sweet, or sweeter than what you are eating.
Vin Santo Styles
The style of Vin Santo varies depending on the production methods and the grapes used.
The sweetness can vary from bone dry (like Fino Sherry) to extremely sweet. The colour can range from a pale amber to neon orange.
White grapes are most widely used (Trebbiano and Malvasia), but red grapes (like Sangiovese) can also be used to produce a amber-red sweet wine called Occhio di Pernice (Eye of the Partridge).
DOC Vin Santo
In Tuscany, there are four DOCs that make only Vin Santo. Each of these corresponds to a major red wine DOCG zone:
- Vin Santo del Chianti DOC
- Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC
- Vin Santo Sant'Antimo DOC
- Vin Santo del Montepulciano DOC
Other DOC zones:
- Trentino Vino Santo DOC
- Offida Passerina Vin Santo DOCG
About Vin Santo
Vin Santo or Vinsanto (Sacred Wine) is a sweet dessert wine from Tuscany in Italy, most often made from the grapes Trebbiano and Malvasia.
Vin Santo is made from dried grapes, and the degree of alcohol, sweetness and oxidation will vary a lot between manufacturers.
Cantucci or Biscotti are almond cookies from Tuscany. They are made without oil or butter, and baked twice to crisp perfection. Biscotti literally means twice (bis) cooked (cotti).
Wine Region Toscana
Toscana is famous for the majestetic city of Firenze
Ponte Vecchio in Firenze
Black Grapes |
White Grapes |
65% Sangiovese |
6% Trebbiano |
Rosé Wines |
Sweet Wines |
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Soil
Soft and crumbly, marl-like clay-limestone and dense sandstone in the Apennine foothills.
Sandy clay around San Gimignano.
Gravelly clay and sandy soils in the Bolgheri and Maremma areas.
Climate
The climate is Mediterranean with dry, hot summers; warm springs; and mild, rainy autumns and winters.
Variations in altitude, exposition, and diurnal temperatures in the foothills contribute to climatic conditions that help balance the sugar, acidity, and aromatics in the grapes.
Coastal areas like Bolgheri and Val di Cornia tend to be more temperate.