While dessert might be the last course, it shouldn’t be forgotten when it comes to beverage pairings. Luckily, there’s a whole category of wines that can become the perfect endnote to a meal. (You can always save the espresso for after.)
Dessert wines are not one specific style, and there’s a bit of a misunderstanding that all it means is “sweet wine.” Meanwhile, as dry wines have surged in popularity, their sweeter cousins have been slightly neglected. But these bottles range in flavors and regional expressions and have just as much sophistication as any other wine.
“Dessert wines are sometimes treated just as sweet wines, all sugar,” says Roger Voss, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews bottles from Spain, Portugal and France. “But a true dessert wine has so many more nuances, from the acidity in a Jurançon or Loire sweet wine to the Botrytis, or noble rot, that is the secret behind a great Sauternes.”
These wines can be slightly sparkling, like a Moscato; made from red or white varietals; fortified, like a Port or Sherry, or have very high sugar content, like a Hungarian Tokaji. And just like you’d reach for a Cab or a Pinot depending on the experience you’d like, the same is true for dessert wines.
“Diving into dessert wines lets you savor a complex symphony of flavors,” says Aleks Zecevic, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews offerings from Austria, Germany and France. “While you might not guzzle down a whole bottle, just one
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
