Eckert's Country Store & Farms

So what makes a sweet wine sweet? Wines have something called residual sugar which is measured in grams. Any wine with over 45 g/L of residual sugar is considered sweet, but that doesn't necessarily mean the wine will taste sweet. For instance, a sweet wine can seem dry because of a high level of acidity and a dry wine can taste sweet when the alcohol level is elevated.

Sweet wines often get a bad wrap for being considered lower quality and less sophisticated than their dry, big red counterparts. Contrary to this belief, sweet wines tend to be the best selling wines at Eckert's, and are very popular in Missouri and Illinois wineries. If it pleases your palate, then drink it! Our philosophy is just that simple.

One of our best selling wines is Bartenura Moscato d' Asti from Di Pavia, Italy. This sparkling white wine is made from Muscat grapes and is a very good choice for sweet wine lovers. We have found it is frequently enjoyed by people who "don't like wine!" Try Bartenura with freshly baked pastries or frozen custard topped with fresh fruit.

Anyone that believes sweet wines are always on the low end of the spectrum has obviously not encountered the French wine, Sauternes. This one is widely regarded as the best sweet wine in the world, and it costs like it, too! A regular 750ml bottle of Sauternes typically retails around $80; however, we do carry Le Tertre du Lys d'Or Sauternes for less than half of that. We know it still may be more than you usually spend on a bottle of wine, but your sweetheart will never forget sharing it with you on Valentine's Day.

The Sweet Wines for your Sweetheart class will be held Thursday, February 11th at 6 pm, just in time for Valentine's Day. Spaces are limited and reservations are required, so please call (618) 233-0513 so you and that special someone can reserve your seats!