Rivesaltes is a sweet, fortified wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France. With a resemblance in flavor notes and texture to a hearty tawny port, Madeira, and even a bit sherry-like, Rivesaltes can be made from a variety of grapes, including the Grenache grape.

As we said at the beginning, Rivesaltes wines can be enjoyed perfectly on their own, without food. They are better at the end of the meal rather than as an aperitif (their richness and power could tire the taste buds). They make an excellent digestif and can also take the place of dessert, or follow on from it.

Muscat de Rivesaltes is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for fortified wines (of the type vin doux naturel) made in the Roussillon wine region of France. The wine is usually served as an aperitif but in Rivesaltes ville and the surrounding area is commonly drunk by the glass in bars and cafes.

Maury is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for fortified vin doux naturel wines made in the Roussillon wine region of France. Almost all wines are red, made from at least 75% Grenache noir (Garnacha). The wines may also be aged in wood for up to 15 years. The resulting wines vary in depth and concentration.

Banyuls wines are made from grapes harvested in the early fall, when they reach a naturally high level of sweetness. The reds are fermented as whole berries, while the whites and rosés are fermented free from any pulp, seeds or skins.

Keep it in the fridge but don’t expect it to be the same as when it was freshly opened. On the other hand, fortified wines such as port and muscat are very tolerant to storage when opened.

Fortified Wine Thanks to the addition of brandy during the blending process, vintage fortified wines, Tawny, Muscat and Topaque can stay fresh for a considerable 28 days once opened.

Maury is a French appellation located in Roussillon that produces vin doux naturel—fortified wine styles with a high quantity of natural sugars. The principal grape is Grenache (Noir, Blanc, and Gris), though small amounts of other grapes can be used as well.

Banyuls is a fortified wine, meaning they halt fermentation and preserve sugar by adding alcohol. It’s definitely sweet, but as someone who notoriously would choose pickles over pie any night of the week, Banyuls is not thaaat sweet.

One of France’s most important sweet, fortified Vin Doux Naturel wines made primarily of Grenache and/or Grenache Blanc grapes with 6 official styles.

Muscat may be produced as dry, medium, sweet, sparkling or even dessert wine. in many cases, its varieties are encountered as table grapes around the world – this is why we particularly describe Muscat wine as being “grapey”.

Rivesaltes is an appellation for the historic sweet wines of eastern Roussillon, in the deep south of France. The sweet vin doux naturel wines produced in this area have been revered since at least the 14th Century.

Rivesaltes — like the similar sweet, fortified wines of neighboring Banyuls — can be made from a variety of grapes, but the many shades of grenache are the primary ones as Cazes. As with port, alcohol is added during fermentation to keep the wine sweet while stabilizing it.

Rivesaltes Wine. Understandably, Rivesaltes wines are often confused with Muscat de Rivesaltes wines, which are similar in style and come from the same area. The key difference is that Muscat de Rivesaltes is produced from Muscat grapes, while Rivesaltes is made from Grenache of all three forms ( Noir, Blanc and Gris ).

After its year-long outdoor tenure, the wine is placed in barrels to continue aging for anywhere from five to 50 years. During this time Rivesaltes trades in some of its ripe fruit flavors for dried, cooked, and spicy tones.