vino dolce
/ˈvi.no ˈdol.t͡ʃe/word by word
The Italian phrase for "sweet wine" is vino dolce.
Vino dolce refers to wine that has a high sugar content and tastes sweet. Italy is known for many regional varieties of sweet wine, such as the sparkling Asti Spumante from Piedmont, the Tuscan dessert wine Vin Santo and the Sicilian Passito di Pantelleria, which is made from dried grapes.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of vino (wine) and dolce (sweet).
Which one should you use?
Vino dolce is the opposite of vino secco, which refers to dry wine.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of vino dolce is vini dolci. In this plural construction, both the noun and the adjective take the plural ending.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈvi.no ˈdol.tʃe/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italy, the most traditional way to enjoy a vino dolce like Vin Santo is to dip hard almond cookies called cantucci into the glass.
- Italian has a specific distinction between vino dolce and vino aromatico, as some wines smell sweet due to floral scents but are actually dry on the tongue.
- The adjective dolce is an English cognate of the word 'dulcet'. While 'dulcet' is almost exclusively used for pleasant sounds, in Italian, dolce maintains its primary culinary meaning of sweetness.
Examples in context
- Vorrei un vino dolce, per favore.I would like a sweet wine, please.
- Potrei avere un vino dolce, per cortesia?Could I have a sweet wine, please?
- Mi dai un vino dolce, per favore?Can you give me a sweet wine, please?
- Vorrei un bicchiere di vino dolce, per favore.I would like a glass of sweet wine, please.
- Questo vino dolce è molto buono.This sweet wine is very good.
- Preferisco un vino dolce dopo cena.I prefer a sweet wine after dinner.
- Hai ordinato un vino dolce?Did you order a sweet wine?
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are looking at a wine list in a restaurant.
- ChiaraMatteo, cosa vuoi bere stasera?Matteo, what do you want to drink tonight?
- MatteoVorrei provare un vino dolce.I would like to try a sweet wine.
- ChiaraSei sicuro? Il cibo è salato.Are you sure? The food is salty.
- MatteoSì, mi piace il contrasto.Yes, I like the contrast.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (vino, dolce) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dolce, vino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
