Dessert Wine and Food Pairing
When serving wine with a dessert, the wine's sweetness should equal or exceed that of the dessert, or the wine will taste sour and unappealing. This is the one hard-and-fast rule in this otherwise relaxed exploration of wine and food. If you follow it, you'll be happier and your matches will always be fundamentally sound.
When pairing desserts with late-harvest wines, it's best to play off the implied fruit character in the wine. Desserts incorporating stone fruits (such as peaches, nectarines, and apricots), tree fruits (apples and pears), and sweeter citrus (orange and tangerine) are safe bets. The sweeter the fruit, the more playful you can be (keeping in mind the above rule, of course). Tarts, pies, and other desserts celebrating fruit, are great platforms for late-harvest wines. If your wine is less sweet, you can opt for tart citrus (lemon and lime) or sharp tropical fruit such as passion fruit, star fruit, or less-ripe pineapple. Preparing sweeter desserts based on those tart fruit flavors would, of course, work well for sweeter examples of dessert wines, too.
If the wine has oak flavors, recipes that pick up on those vanilla, caramel, or sweet spice flavors work well, for example, dishes featuring butterscotch, caramel, toffee, or crème brûlée. Custard, pastry cream, and crème anglaise nicely complement a wine's round texture. Reconstituted dried fruit is always welcome alongside late-harvest wines that have intrinsic desiccated fruit characteristics, and any use of honey in a dish will pick up on the presence of Botrytis in a wine and echo its sexy flavor nuances.
If you are a chocoholic, late-harvest Muscat wines (especially those based on black and orange Muscat) and wines made from other fruits (such as cherry and berry) can be marvelous. But in general, late-harvest wines are not ideal partners with chocolate: don't serve a chocolate torte to show off a great Sauternes-style wine or a late-harvest Riesling. The same is true of sweet sparkling wines (except for the Italian Brachetto d'Acqui and a few examples of sparkling Aussie Shiraz), as I can attest from many winemakers' dinners at the hands of chefs who insist on pairing sparkling wine with chocolate, with the exception of white chocolate, which can pair well with sweet sparkling wines.
Chocolate, mocha, and similar flavors are best with fortified wines, especially port and the French Grenache-based Banyuls. These wines echo the dessert's bittersweet nature, and the black-fruit character of the wines contributes complexity to the match. Incorporating fruit into a chocolate dessert is a great trick for showcasing dessert wines. A filling of berry jam between layers of a chocolate cake or a cherry sauce drizzled over a chocolate pot de crème can be sublime. Non-fortified wines that can be lovely with chocolate (especially when accompanied by dark stone fruit) include the Italian Brachetto d'Acqui, a sweet red sparkling wine, and Recioto della Valpolicella, a passito-style red.
Cream or brown sherries, tawny ports, Bual and Malmsey Madeiras are delectable with nuts, caramel, coffee, and some chocolate-based desserts. These wines are also delicious with traditional holiday fare: pumpkin pie, mincemeat, pecan pies, plum pudding, and the assortment of candies and cookies that generally accompany them.
Summer's bounty of fruit is at its best when prepared simply. Placed on a shortcake or phyllo base, succulent berries, apricots, or peaches don't require much to highlight their flavor. Such desserts are the perfect stage for sweet sparkling wines. Indeed, these fizzy wines frame fruit well and shouldn't be squashed by desserts that are too heavy. A light custard is OK; a rich buttercream is not.
Because most desserts are distinguished more by their combinations of ingredients and textures than by the manner in which they are prepared, the below are grouped by main ingredients with recommendations on flavor profile.
These desserts go well with sweet sparkling wines and late-harvest wines.
Candied fruit and dried citrus show off botrytized wines well. A touch of vanilla helps these fruits pair well with wood-aged and passito-style wines, as does any subtle use of caramel, caramelized sugar, or sweet spice, such as cinnamon or nutmeg. These desserts don't pair well with fortified wines, with the exception of Madeiras, which possess an inherent lemony character.
These desserts go well with sweet sparkling wines and some late-harvest and fortified wines.
Berries served alone or as the focal point of the dessert are best with sparkling wines, less dramatic late-harvest styles (including Black Muscat), and wines made from cherries or berries. When berries are used as an accent, pairings can be more flexible. For example, berries served in a tuile with custard are fine for a late-harvest wine; with zabaglione or a mousse, they can accompany a botrytized wine; served with a chocolate dessert or as a sauce (coulis), they pair well with port. Berries alone are not at their best with most fortified wines, though they can be fun with some of the Muscat-based examples.
These desserts go well with late-harvest wines, botrytized wines, and some fortified wines and sweet sparkling wines.
Apples and pears match well with late-harvest Semillons, Chenin Blancs, and blends based on Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. If the wine is botrytized, the dessert can include honey, vanilla, and more texture (such as custard or pastry cream). Peaches, apricots, and nectarines set off Riesling, Muscat, and Semillon and Sauvignon blends well. Again, if Botrytis is a factor, the dessert can include honey, vanilla, and more texture. Simple preparations of tree or stone fruit (such as poached fruit), served with or without a light sauce, are delightful with sweet sparkling wines. Recipes based on reconstituted dried fruit (think dried apricots poached in wine or a compote of dried apricots, pears, and prunes) pair well with fortified wines such as sherry, Madeira, and tawny port. If the dish is a simple compote, a sweet sparkler is a nice choice, too. If these fruits are used as an accent alongside or in chocolate, you can play around with a variety of wines, but if the chocolate is what drives the dessert, stick to fortified wines.
These dishes go well with almost every style of dessert wine, including Eiswein.
Custards are a neutral canvas, and your wine selection will be driven by what, if anything, accompanies them. Vanilla and sweet spices pair well with oak-aged wines. Caramel or a caramelized crust (as in crème brûlée) can mirror the flavors of aged wines. A chocolate custard is great for port, while an orange custard is the perfect stage for a late-harvest wine. (For desserts including fruit, refer to the pairing suggestions for fruit-based desserts.) The rich texture of a custard or mousse can handle richer wines, including wood-aged examples and fortified styles. A lighter mousse or yogurt-based dessert can pair well with sweet sparkling wines, especially if the dessert includes fresh fruit.
Nut-based desserts are great for showing off older oak-aged wines, fortified or non-fortified, and those that are nutty in their flavor profile (tawny ports and cream and brown sherries) or more desiccated (non-botrytized late-harvest wines). Dried fall fruits (apples, pears, and prunes), especially in desserts incorporating honey, are wonderful with botrytized wines. A dollop of crème fraîche allows you to serve slightly richer styles. Dried summer fruits (apricots, peaches, and nectarines) are great with Rieslings and sublime with Muscats, especially rich examples (Australian Muscat ports are a favorite of mine).
These desserts go well with port and other "dark" dessert wines, including Banyuls.
Coffee and caramel together work well with virtually all fortified wines, as does chocolate with nuts and caramel.
More oxidized styles of fortified wines (those aged in wood for an extended period, such as sherries and tawny ports) are particularly good with caramel, toffee, butterscotch, and nougat. Coffee and chocolate (or mocha) can pair with berry- or cherry-based wines and orange- or citrus-scented VDN wines (especially Muscat) if there's a strong fruit accent to the dessert. Think marmalade in a torte, a berry sauce served alongside a cake, or brandied cherries accompanying chocolate pots de crème.
Fruit-forward wines, such as Riesling and Sauternes, have a very hard time with chocolate. Incorporating some fruit with the chocolate can help, but it's still tough on the wine and usually flattens it. Avoid Eisweins, young late-harvest wines, and sparkling wines, except Brachetto d'Acqui and sparkling Shiraz.
| Wine Style | Ingredients | Cuisines + Cooking Methods |
|---|---|---|
| All styles | The one hard-and-fast rule: wine's sweetness should equal or exceed that of the dessert Creamy and custard desserts go well with almost every style of dessert wine |
|
| Sweet sparkling wines made from white grapes | White chocolate Summer fruit: berries, apricots, peaches |
Prepare fruit simply, for example, place on a shortbread or phyllo base or as a simple compote Serve with a light custard (not a heavy buttercream) A yogurt-based dessert |
| Sweet sparkling wines made from red grapes (Italian Brachetto d'Acqui, Australian sparkling Shiraz) sweet red sparkling wine | Chocolate | Best when chocolate is accompanied by stone fruit |
| Wines made from partially dried grapes | Chocolate Citrus and tropical fruit |
A touch of vanilla, subtle use of caramel, caramelized sugar, or sweet spice, such as cinnamon or nutmeg, helps these fruits pair well. |
| Late-harvest wines, not botrytized | Berries Apples and pears (especially Semillons, Chenin Blancs, and blends based on Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc) Peaches, apricots, and nectarines (especially Riesling, Muscat, and Semillon and Sauvignon blends) |
Tarts, pies, and other desserts celebrating fruit Less sweet wine: tart citrus (lemon and lime) or sharp tropical fruit such as passion fruit, star fruit or less-ripe pineapple. Orange custard, berries served in a tuile with custard |
| Late-harvest Muscat wines (especially those based on black and orange Muscat) and wines made from other fruits, such as cherry and berry | Chocolate Coffee Fruit |
Coffee-, chocolate- or mocha-flavored desserts can pair best if there's a strong fruit accent to the dessert, for example, marmalade in a torte, a berry sauce served alongside a cake, or brandied cherries accompanying chocolate pots de crème. |
| Late-harvest wines, botrytized | Reconstituted dried fruit Candied fruit Dried citrus Honey Berries Tree and stone fruit, especially dried fall fruits (apples, pears, and prunes) |
Reconstituted dried fruit amplifies the desiccated fruit flavors Honey in a dish will pick up on the presence of Botrytis in a wine and echo its flavor nuances Berries served with zabaglione or a mousse With tree and stone fruit make sure the dessert has more texture (such as custard or pastry cream) and include honey, vanilla. |
| Fortified, “brown” wines (cream and brown sherry, Bual and Malmsey Madeira, tawny ports) | Nuts Caramel Coffee Chocolate Citrus (Madeira only) Dried fruit Nuts |
Traditional holiday fare: pumpkin pie, mincemeat, pecan pies, plum pudding, and the assortments of candies and cookies that accompany them Citrus pairs well with Madeira because of the wine’s inherent lemony character. Reconstituted dried apricots poached in wine or a compote of dried apricots, pears, and prunes Nut-based desserts |
| Fortified wines, red ports and Banyuls (wines with black fruit character) | Chocolate Mocha Coffee Caramel Nuts |
Incorporate fruit into a chocolate dessert, for example, insert berry jam between layers of a chocolate cake or drizzle cherry sauce over a chocolate pot de crème |
| Wines with oak flavors (see also botrytized), including older wines | Vanilla Caramel Sweet spice Citrus and tropical fruit Nuts (especially with older wines) |
Dishes with butterscotch, caramel, toffee, or crème brûlée Custard, pastry cream, and crème anglaise nicely complement a wine's round texture. A touch of vanilla, subtle use of caramel, caramelized sugar, or sweet spice, such as cinnamon or nutmeg, helps these fruits pair well. Nut-based desserts (especially with older wines) |