Muscat de Beaumes de Venise wine is sweet, fortified Muscat-based wines from the village of Beaumes-de-Venise weins in France Rhone Valley. They are made exclusively from Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains and its color mutation Muscat Noir.
Sweet wine
Sweet wines have been produced here since the 14th century. In 1945 they were granted their own controlled appeal. The village’s red wines are sold under the Beaumes de Venise appellation, which was created for them in 2005.
The Beaumes de Venise weins are created through the traditional Mutage process to create VIN doux naturel. The latter term means “naturally sweet wine”, which sounds a bit odd even though no sugar itself is added.
Muscat grapes
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Muscat grapes are picked whole bunches in several passes to ensure optimal ripeness. Harvested fruit must have a sugar content of 252 grams per liter or more.
Grape distillate (at least 96 percent pure) is added to partially fermented grape must. This will kill the yeast and stop the fermentation. The result is a high level of residual sugar at least 100 grams per liter must be achieved in the finished wine. The alcohol content must be at least 15 percent by volume.
The finished Muscat de Beaumes de Venise wines are light golden when young, with subtle vegetal notes and a hint of tropical fruit. With age, they acquire a rich golden hue and acquire a more pronounced taste of honey, dried apricots and raisins. These muscat wines were extremely popular in Europe at the end of the 20th century, competing with the more expensive sweet wines of Bordeaux.
Beaumes de Venise is located south of the Gigondas appellation and east of Vacqueyras. The three villages are separated by a 500 meter limestone promontory that is part of the jagged Dentelles de Montmirail foothills. It is on the slopes of this promontory that some of the better vineyards of Beaumes de Venise are located. Beaumes are oriented to the south and southeast and benefit from excellent exposure to sunlight throughout the day, which promotes maximum phenolic ripeness in the grapes.
On the lower-lying plots, the soils are alluvial and the Beaumes de Venise vineyards produce less intense, finer styles of wine that are unaffected by the intense sunlight on the slopes. The best locations are in areas with limestone soil with a high proportion of stones to aid drainage.
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, AOC, sweet wine, Arnoux et Fils
This beaumes wine AOC really resembles liquid honey, which is additionally highlighted by a golden color. Arnoux et Fils whether as a little sweet sin in between or as an accompaniment to spicy dishes, this wine brings pure elegance to the glass. Once opened it will easily last 2-3 weeks in the fridge, but is also ideal as a dust catcher and can age incredibly well.
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Fragrance friends: Berries & Co., cinnamon and co.
Year: 2020
Country: France
Moments: The main thing is that it’s banging, creatively
Variety: Muscat
Area: Cote du Rhone, Vacqueyras
Residual sweetness: Dry
Type of wine: sweet wine
The character and style of Cotes du Rhone wine
It’s fair to say that the Côte du Rhone is a serious contender for the title of the best wine region in the world, providing truly sublime character-driven wines at fair prices. Red wines can be fruity, sweet wine, spicy and full of ripe red berries.
If you are an AOC beaumes wine lover looking for value and early dry drinking pleasure from the wines you buy, you need to learn about and discover the Cotes du Rhone.
Côte du Rhone wines are more than just value and are for the most part meant to be enjoyed immediately upon release. Most Cotes du Rhone wines do not require aging, although a few wines will improve with time in the cellar. Frankly, they’re excellent on release, which is a big part of their appeal.
Cotes du Rhone wines are also easy to pair with a wide variety of accompaniment to spicy dishes foods, which we will cover in detail. In addition, the Cotes du Rhone is ideal for visits by casual wine lovers and tourists. It is one of the few wine regions where tourists can stop at most wineries without an appointment and still have a great visit and tasting!
What is Vacqueyras?
A question is arises when cruising the wine list in search of something different and interesting. In short, it’s a relatively unknown French red wine that packs a punch for the price.
