Wines That Go With Dessert

Certain wines, like sparkling wines, go well with many desserts.

Some wines should be drank on their own, as they are desserts in themselves; luxurious ice wine is one example. However, other wines, even wines that are not necessarily sweet, pair nicely with desserts. Matching a wine to a dessert involves taking the attributes of both wine and dessert, such as the acidity, intensity and sweetness, and mirroring or contrasting them. Nonetheless, a wine served with dessert should be sweeter than the dessert itself.

Chocolate

Dark and semi-sweet chocolates need stronger red wines to balance the sometimes edgy bitterness of the higher cocoa content and roasting. Wines such as Malbec, Grenache, Shiraz and Beaujolais can hold up to the austerity of these chocolates and their tannins. Subdued by the cocoa butter in the chocolate, they need not interfere with your enjoyment of the dessert. Banyuls, the fortified wine made from Grenache, gives chocolate a head start by having cocoa in the nose. Other ingredients, such as the fillings and centers in chocolate, can serve as another counterpoint to the wine you serve with it. If your chocolate has an almond-based center, pair with Brachetto d'Acqui from Piedmont or a fino sherry. Cream sherry works with hazelnuts. Cabernet Sauvignon has nutty accents that can harmonize with nut-based chocolates.

Fruit: Fresh, Poached and in Pies and Tarts

Fresh or dried fruit are complemented by a late harvest California Viognier. Apples and quince in pies or tarts go well with Sauternes and wines from Anjou such as a Quarts du Chaume. Poached pears should be accompanied by wine depending on the liquid it was poached in; if poached in white wine, the pears can be served with German Riesling or Vouvray Moelleux; if poached in port, serve port with the pears; if wine is the poaching liquid, serve no wine, save for a brachetto.

Custards

Egg-rich and/or custardy desserts such as zabaglione, panna cotta and flan partner well with effervescent wines such as Spanish cava or demi-sec champagnes. Sparkling wines in general can accompany a variety of desserts.

Cream-based Desserts

Cream-based pies can be aided by a tawny port with its aged oak notes. Other cream or dairy-based desserts like cheesecake or ice cream can pose a hardship for an accompanying wine because the high fat and cold temperatures are obstacles to appreciating the wine. When in doubt, exceedingly rich Pedro Ximinez sherry can double as an extemporaneous ice cream topping or syrup.

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