Late Harvest Wines differ from passito, trockenbeerenauslese, and other sweet wine styles in several key ways:
1. Harvesting Process
Late Harvest Wines are made from grapes that are left on the vine longer than usual, allowing them to ripen and concentrate their sugars. On the other hand, passito wines are made from grapes that have been dried on straw mats or hung up to dry before fermentation, while trockenbeerenauslese wines are made from individually selected, overripe grapes affected by noble rot.
2. Sugar Levels
While all these styles of wine are sweet, they differ in their sugar levels. Late Harvest Wines typically have lower sugar levels compared to trockenbeerenauslese wines, which are known for their intense sweetness due to the high sugar concentration in the grapes affected by noble rot. Passito wines fall somewhere in between, depending on the drying process used.
3. Flavor Profile
Each type of sweet wine has its own unique flavor profile:
- Late Harvest Wines: These wines often exhibit flavors of ripe fruits like apricot, peach, and honey, with a balance of acidity to counteract the sweetness.
- Passito Wines: Passito wines can have a more intense flavor profile with notes of dried fruits, nuts, and honey, thanks to the dehydration process the grapes undergo.
- Trockenbeerenauslese Wines: These wines are known for their rich, complex flavors of dried fruits, honey, and botrytis notes, due to the noble rot affecting the grapes.
4. Aging Potential
Due to their high sugar content, all these sweet wine styles have excellent aging potential. However, trockenbeerenauslese wines are often considered the most age-worthy, thanks to their intense sweetness and concentration of flavors from the noble rot-affected grapes.
5. Food Pairing
When it comes to pairing with food, each sweet wine style complements different dishes:
- Late Harvest Wines: These wines pair well with fruit-based desserts, creamy cheeses, and foie gras.
- Passito Wines: Passito wines are perfect with rich, chocolate desserts, blue cheeses, and spicy dishes.
- Trockenbeerenauslese Wines: These wines are best enjoyed with desserts like crème brûlée, foie gras, and strong cheeses.