A Short Defence of the Half Glass

A dessert wine poured to the brim stops being a pleasure and becomes a chore. This is not restraint for its own sake. It is a practical observation about how sweetness behaves in a glass over twenty minutes.

Sweetness accumulates

Acidity refreshes and sweetness accumulates. The first mouthful of our Doce is bright, because the acidity is still doing the work. By the fifth, if the glass has been generous, the sugar has caught up and the wine tastes heavier than it did at the start. The wine has not changed. Your palate has.

A half glass is a full serve

Sixty millilitres in a glass with room above it. That is enough to swirl, enough to smell properly, and enough to finish while it is still cold. When it is gone you can decide whether you want more, which is a better conversation to have than the one where a full glass goes warm on the table.

What to serve it with

Something salty and something plain. A hard sheep cheese, walnuts, a slice of ordinary bread. Puddings compete with it; the last thing a sweet wine needs is a rival.