Vin Santo - Cultural heritage of Tuscany
The Vin Santo sweet wine has something mystical. Embedded in the rich history of Italy, more specifically Tuscany, Vin Santo is more than just a delicious dessert wine. It is the epitome of the landscape, the people, the philosophy of a long-standing tradition. Produced as it was hundreds of years ago, the winegrowers of sweet wine remember the experiences of their predecessors, although the traditional production of Vin Santo is endangered by modern EU regulations. Nevertheless, the Italian winegrowers are pressing a Vin Santo as usual, adapting to the regulations here and there, but always remaining true to its origins. Vin Santo dessert wine today is as it used to be, not as the present would like. Malvasia and Trebbiano, partly rosined, air-dried, apparently endlessly matured in the ancient caratelli barrel. The Vin Santo is not for quick enjoyment, but a decelerated trip into the past, lined with velvety memories and an almost sacred note.
Production of Vin Santo
The Vin Santo is made mainly from the two grape varieties Trebbiano and Malvasia, which are air-dried on wooden shelves immediately after harvesting. For weeks the grapes rosinate and concentrate the sweetness in the heart of the fruit considerably. Depending on the degree of sweetness of the grapes, the pressing starts with great care and gentle pressing. Consequently, the finished wine is stored for at least three years in sealed barrels, called caratelli, under the roof. Thus the Vin Santo is exposed to constant temperature fluctuations between summer and winter. This gives the Italian dessert wine from Tuscany its robustness and gives the Vin Santo its characteristic thick body. All you need to enjoy your Vin Santo in style is the crunchy cantuccini, which complements the dessert wine with its fine sweetness.
Recipe Cantuccini
A heavenly combination of Vin Santo and Cantuccini unites the strengths of both and is now an integral part of the menu. And so that there is a lot of love in the almond biscuits, simply bake the cantuccini yourself. Here you see how:
Ingredients:
- 200 g whole almonds
- 300 g flour
- 250 g sugar
- 3 eggs
- salt
- baking powder
Roast the almonds in a pan and put aside. Mix the flour, sugar, eggs, salt and baking powder in a bowl to a quite firm and sticky dough and finally add the roasted almonds. Let the dough rise for half an hour.
Now the dough is formed into a roll which is baked in the oven preheated to 180° C for about 30 minutes. Remove the roll from the oven and cut the roll into even slices. Put them in the oven again for 5 minutes. Let it cool and the cantuccini is ready for your Vin Santo - enjoy your meal!
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One dessert wine, one name, many legends
The name Vin Santo inevitably suggests that the sweet wine has sacred attributes. Not without reason. According to legend, a Franciscan monk alleviated the suffering of the sick and gave them relief from the pain with a glass of Vin Santo. The Vin Santo is also ideal for church masses, as the good shelf life of an open bottle proved practical if you only needed wine for ceremonial occasions now and then. Another origin for the name of Italian sweet wine was found about a century later. A Greek bishop recognized that the wine was santox, which means yellow. The Vin Santo is golden yellow, almost amber, rather than just yellow. Historians also suspect the origin of the term from the Crusades. Knights who tasted a sweet wine on the way to the Holy Land on the island of Santorini discovered a similar wine on their journey home in Tuscany and compared it with the wine from the Mediterranean island of Santorini. All these legends are plausible, none has been proven to this day, but the Vin Santo tastes the same in the past as it does today - heavenly.
Facts worth knowing about the Vin Santo
What is Vin Santo dessert wine?
Vin Santo is a sweet wine from Italy, mainly from Tuscany, Marche and Umbria. It is produced in a very traditional way and is considered by wine connoisseurs as an absolute speciality of Tuscany. The sweet character in the golden yellow and almost oily body contains notes of nuts, raisins, butter, honey and nestles smoothly to the palate. The typical Malvasia and Trebbiano grape varieties are air-dried on large wooden shelves before pressing. Between 1 December and 31 March, the Vin Santo may be further processed. Finally, the wine is stored in wooden barrels for at least 3 years, at the Riserva quality level for at least 4 years, in the attic of the winery.
What goes with Vin Santo?
Vin Santo is perfectly complemented by cantuccini and sweet pastries. In addition, dried fruits, cakes and spicy cheese variations harmonise with Italian dessert wine. Vin Santo also serves as a companion for all kinds of contemplative occasions, festivals, cafés and as a conclusion to a cosy dinner.
How do you serve Vin Santo?
The ideal drinking temperature for a Vin Santo lies between 8 and 14°, depending on taste and maturation. Serve the Vin Santo sweet wine in a sherry or port glass to fully develop its aroma. A little tip: cantuccini are often dipped into the glass, but this leaves a crumbly and almost undrinkable residue. Place a piece of cantuccini on the tongue and let the Vin Santo run slowly over it. Tastes good too and the glass remains crumble-free.
How long can you store Vin Santo?
The Vin Santo has good storage potential and can be stored in the wine cellar for 10 years or longer. However, pay attention to the vintage of your Vin Santo, a dessert wine that has matured in casks for decades cannot necessarily survive long-term storage. Even an opened bottle of Vin Santo keeps closed for a few weeks, but loses some freshness over time.
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