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Wine with Desserts |
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Whether serving a fresh fruit salad or a rich chocolate cake, you need to choose a wine that will round off your meal as beautifully as your dessert. Choose a wine that highlights the flavours of the dessert, and that is not overwhelmed by its consistency.
Whether serving a fresh fruit salad or a rich chocolate cake, you need to choose a wine that will round off your meal as beautifully as your dessert. Choose a wine that highlights the flavours of the dessert, and that is not overwhelmed by its consistency.
Chocolate
A chocolate-based dessert is difficult to pair with wine because of the extreme sweetness and it's lavish texture, which can coat ethe palate. You need a wine to cut through both. ( Port is also a good choice. )
Muscats : Those from Australia are to powerful for most desserts, but work beautifully with rich chocolate.
Maury : This French wine is a fabulous choice for almost all chocolate desserts.
Fruit
How you serve the fruit - fresh in a salad, baked in a tart or stewed - determines the type of wine you need. The texture, temperature and acidity level of the wine are what you need to consider.
Muscat-de-Beaumes-de-Venise : Serve with plums or blackberries for a sensational combination
Riesling : A fruit tart works well with most of the sweet Rielsings
Sauternes : This complements the sharp flavour of rhubarb or apple
Cream
Rich, creamy desserts can be difficult to match unless served with acidic fruit to cut-through the mouth-coating texture. You need a wine that can cope with cloying consistency.
Semillon-Sauvignon : Sweet blends from the New World have the flavour and concentration required for heavy, creamy desserts like cheesecake.
Sherry : Choose a sweet sherry for drinking with custard-based desserts such as creme brulee.
Cold
Ice creams and sorbets are the classic palate refresher at the end of a meal. Serve your chosen wine ice cold, too, to leave the palate tingling. Madeira makes a nice contrast.
Moscato dAsti : For ice-cold fruit sorbets, go for a wine with sweetness and sparkle.
Muscat : To accompany vanilla ice cream, Muscat-de-Beaumes-de-Venise has the best consistency.
Hot
Freshly baked desserts are perfect for winter days. Serve with custard or ice cream, and a rich dessert wine or fortified wine.
Malmsey Madeira : Good to pick up the richness of a hot treacle tart.
Chenin Blanc : For a hot apple pie, choose a sweet style.
Sauternes : Complements the fruitiness of rhubarb and apples, so serve with baked fruit desserts.
Cakes and gateaux
Whether you are serving a light sponge cake or a dark, rich fruit cake, look for a wine that will lift the flavours and add moisture.
Champagne : If you are serving cake as a part of a special celebration, choose a special sparkling wine.
Coteaux-du-Layon : For almond or marzipan cakes, this will enhance the nutty flavour and rich texture.
Muscat : A rich fruit cake needs a wine with generous amount of sweetness and strength.
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