Now I know what it feels like to be Honey Boo Boo. The things we do for our readers! When Conrad and I tackled 15 bottles of sweet wine, 6 desserts and a cheese platter in one siting, well, let’s just say it was the adult equivalent Honey Boo Boo necking five Red Bulls laced with tequila and five shots of espressos; quickly followed by a Mountain Dew chaser!  Stop the room spinning! Today we’re celebrating all things sweet by road testing the current trophy winning wines from the International Sweet Wine Challenge.  It’s a tough job, but we were up for the diabetes-inducing challenge.  Unfortunately Neal was unable to join us, he was skiing in Japan, drinking sake and eating wasabi flavoured Kit Kats (true story!). The ‘International’ of this wine challenge moniker itself is a little bit misleading, as only Australian and New Zealand wines were submitted.  Next year it would be great to see our local gems battle it out with top sweet wines from Bordeaux, Icewines from Canada, Switzerland or Germany, the delicious Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines from German or even an Italian Vin Santo.  

Let’s make it happen!   But I digress!  What we are left behind with is an outstanding selection of Australia’s best sweet wines and one New Zealand sticky. best red wines of 2010 The best part about this competition however, the overall winner was also one of the cheapest wines – the 2011 Gramps Botrytis Semillon. buy wine bags Not content with just tasting these winners at home in the kitchen, Conrad and I matched them against the desserts from renowned Sydney restaurant, Yellow.  Hbest wine and price in indiaeavenly is the best way to describe these gems. Ttop wine brands in chinahe ‘Liquorice’ was genius – liquorice ice cream, liquorice sponge, with white chocolate curd , raspberry granita and dehydrated raspberries.  Abest wine for mac os x

lso starring were the ‘Chocolate’ – a crisp dark chocolate sphere filled with macerated cherries in cherry curd and ‘Coconut’ – a semi frozen coconut mousse with compressed nectarines coated with white chocolate and mint crumb. the best new zealand white wine How are sweet wines made? best wine storage conditions In Australia, the premier region for sweet winemaking is the Riverina in NSW.  Ibest wine price indiats climate is perfect for growing botrytis affected grapes.  Ibest bottle of wine in the worldf you’ve heard of this term before but have no clue what it means; relieve it or not, botrytis wines start life as rotten grapes affected by a fungal disease called Botrytis Cinerea.  T

his fungus weakens the grape skin and lives off the juice that is trapped inside the berry. However it doesn’t steel any of the grapes important flavour characteristics, instead it adds to them.  It steals half the moisture and leaves behind concentrated unctuous grape juice. For the botrytis fungus to attack a vineyard certain conditions need to prevail; an initial humid weather and immediately followed by a dry spell.  The Riverina is very reliable for these conditions whereas other famous Australian regions produce these condition less frequently. Botrytis is just one method for making sweet wines; others include late harvest (where the grapes are picked late, when they are super sweet), dried grapes (drying the grapes out once they’ve been picked to concentrate the sweet flavours) and frozen grapes (where the water inside the grapes freeze, concentrating the sweet fruit sugars which are then pressed and made into wine). THE 2014 INTERNATIONAL SWEET WINE CHALLENGE TROPHY WINNERS:

2014 International Sweet Wine of the Year and Best Mature Sweet, Semillon 2011 Gramps Botrytis Semillon (rrp$21) Definitely worthy of the title with some lovely caramel, mango liqueur and nutty nougat flavours.  There’s even a uniquely subtle lacquered furniture polish aroma to this wine. Best Mature Sweet, Other Varieties ~  2011 Lillypilly Noble Blend (rrp$40) Definitely one of our favourites – in fact better than the Gramps!  Intense fruit flavours are jam packed in this bottle, expect dried apricots, succulent pineapple and lemony meringue! Best Sweet Wine from Museum Class ~ 2008 De Bortoli Deen Botrytis Semillon ($11) A cracking wine at a budget price.  Age has amplified its oak characters with some lovely truffled nuances, chestnuts and charred apricots.  F Best Mature Sweet, Floral styles ~     2012 Lillypilly Noble Harvest (rrp$32) A lovely wine with oriental frangrances of lemongrass, lychee and kaffir lime leaf. Best Young Sweet, Floral styles ~ 2013 Forrest Wines Noble Riesling (rrp$45 – 750 ml bottle)

Best Young Sweet, Semillon ~ 2013 Two Italian Boys, The Sticky Italian (rrp$25) Best Young Sweet, Other Varieties ~ 2013 Foxey’s Hangout Late Harvest Pinot Gris (rrp$28) Inniskillin Winery, producing internationally acclaimed icewines is one of the safest bets for your next dessert wine needs. From Cabernet Franc icewines to Riesling and Vidal Blanc icewines - the choices are seemingly endless. The Kracher Cuvee Beerenauslese is a remarkable, decadent dessert wine from Austria.  Made from Chardonnay and Welschriesling (unrelated to Riesling) grapes that have been favorably affected by botrytis, the noble rot that is encouraged for the world's finest dessert wines, like Tokaji or Sauternes. On the nose, you'll find classic honeysuckle aromas, followed by a sweet intensity and the flavors of jam-driven apricot along with concentrated dried fruit and an enveloping elegance. This Moscato d'Asti is certainly a unique wine, being a semi-sparkling wine, or a "frizzante."

It is noticeably sweeter and lighter in both taste and palate feel, with a lower alcohol content of around 8%. It is from the Piedmont region and oozes with ripe peach flavors surrounded by honeysuckle. Makes a terrific apéritif as well as a perfect partner to cheesecake. Image Courtesy of Frederick Wildman & Sons The Churchill's 10 Year Tawny Port presents a brickish red color, with a sweet, nutty aroma. On the palate, you'll find a delicious, rich display of well ripened sweet fig-like flavors and a caramel finish. Give this Port a turn at pairing with your favorite desserts, ranging from cheesecake and tiramisu to chocolate truffles and pecan pie. Also, consider this particular Tawny port as a delicious pairing partner for aged cheddar cheese. This Riesling oozes apricot and citrus flavors, there is a detailed balance of both acidity and residual sugar levels, making for a very dessert-friendly wine. Try this particular Riesling with apple pie or crisp, fruit torte, cheesecake and white chocolate-based desserts.

St. Supery's Moscato is nothing short of heavenly. You will find plenty of floral character on the nose and the palate bursts with a ripe peach. There are balance and presence with this delicate Muscat wine, making it a flawless match with raspberry cheesecake or Crème Brulée. This is a red sparkling wine from Italy's Piedmont region, that is sweet and subtle with the lush flavors of ripe raspberry and juicy strawberry. Consider giving this wine a run with chocolate-based desserts, fresh fruit, and pecan pie. Chateau Saint Michelle's Ethos Late Harvest Riesling brings the rich flavors of juicy apricots drizzled with honey and a luxurious finish. This is an amazing dessert wine find that will accommodate a wide assortment of dessert favorites from pies and cakes to fresh fruit and chocolates. The fortified wine of the week is the Warre's Otima 10 year Tawny and for good reason - this port would make a remarkable after Christmas dinner sipper - paired with a pecan pie, raspberry cheesecake or a creamy mocha-based dessert.