The Hungarian Wine That's One Of The Sweetest You Can Buy

When it comes to expert advice on choosing a dessert wine to pair with a dessert like an intricate mille-feuille or something more basic like the Hostess mystery flavor Twinkies, port, moscato, and ice wines are the usual suspects to reach for and uncork, however, if you are looking for the sweetest wine of them all, you might want to check out Hungarian Tokaji Eszencia. This wine is not for the faint of heart or those who lack a propensity for sugar. In fact, its sugar content is incredibly high — often clocking in at above 500 grams per liter.

But it's the texture of Tokaji Eszencia that will give your mouth a unique drinking experience. It is often described as more of a thick syrup. This is not a wine you will be guzzling down; most people sip it by the tablespoon. This could also be because Tokaji Eszencia doesn't come cheap, but regardless, this alcohol is about savoring. If it sounds like the sweet vino you want to ship with your dessert, there are a few things you should know about this wine, starting with how it is made.

Tokaji Eszencia is a sweet wine perfect for beginners and crafted using molding grapes. It may sound unusual, but this wine is made from noble rot grapes, which develop gray mold in moist weather conditions followed by the sun, which dries them out. As these grapes rot and dry, they shrivel, concentrating their sweetness. The resulting flavors, including ginger, saffron, and beeswax notes, are unique to this wine. Eszencia is made entirely of these grapes and takes about four to five years to ferment. 

Hungarian Tokaji Eszencia is considered a rare wine. Don't expect to find bottles of it lining the shelves of your local wine shop. But if you happen upon a bottle and want to try it out, you may wonder what types of dessert to pair it with. Marry it with foods high in fat, salt, and sugar to balance out or match with the sweetness in the wine. A rich cheesecake, buttery, fruity tarts, and pumpkin pie will all be enhanced when sipping this wine with each, as these elements are all present.

This wine is also a lovely addition to sharp and spicy ingredients. A cheese plate that contains robust and pungent cheese flavors like blue cheese and Roquefort is a lovely contrast, enhancing the sweet and the tangy elements, similar to a fruit jam you'd find alongside them on a charcuterie board. Just remember, a little goes a long way.