Do Dessert and Wine Make a Good Pairing?

Wine and dessert are as classic a pairing as a good appetizer and an aperitif. That said, many people in Seymour, WI aren’t always sure how to pair wine and dessert to get the most out of a delicious post-dinner experience. There’s a certain art to pairing wine and dessert, and it all depends on what you’re eating.

Traditionally, lighter white wines are considered dessert wines. Their fruity bouquets and lighter notes make them a great pairing for rich desserts—everything from a slice of apple pie to a dense chocolate brownie.

Wines that go with dessert

If you’re looking for a wine pairing to go with your dessert, the best place to start is within the general scope of acceptable dessert wines. While rosé and Moscato options are the most common dessert wines, there’s a whole breadth of dessert wine options out there that deserve attention. Some of the staples in any good wine and dessert pairing include:

  • Vouvray is a puckering white wine known for fruity notes, often sparkling.
  • Riesling wines bring citrus notes to dessert, available in dry or sweet varieties.
  • Sauvignon blanc wines accentuate the richness of many desserts.
  • Chardonnays, especially oaked chardonnays, are great for tart or sweet desserts.
  • Sherries offer a complex balance to sweeter desserts and a dryness to boost flavor.
  • Brachetto is the rare sweet red on this list—a fruity complement to chocolate desserts.

This isn’t even close to a complete list, and there are numerous possibilities for pairing dry vs. sweet wines with different desserts. All in all, it’s a great idea to treat wine and dessert like wine and your meal, pairing food flavors with complementary notes from the right wine.

What you’re eating matters

It’s not enough to simply select one of the wines above and pair it with any old dessert—and you’re likely to make a sommelier cry if you insist on pairing sweet with sweet or rich with rich. Remember—wine is all about balance. Dessert is the main event—the wine you choose to complement it should do just that:

  • Rich chocolate dishes benefit from citrus-heavy whites or sweet reds.
  • Fruity desserts are exemplified by puckering whites and complex vintages.
  • Cakes and pastries benefit from sweeter and bubblier whites.
  • Custards and cream-based desserts pair well with dryer, more bodied wines.

Whether you’re biting into a cookie, savoring crème brûlée, or digging into a fruity piece of pie, the perfect wine can make an amazing dessert even more exceptional. It all starts with an understanding of wines that go with dessert.

Ask your server

At a loss for which wine to choose with your next dessert? Ask your server what they recommend or get tips from a sommelier the next time you’re dining out at a restaurant in Seymour, WI that understands the value of a good food and wine pairing. Or, if you’re adventurous, take a stab at creating your own pairing! Once you get comfortable with the basics of pairing dessert and wine, you’ll find yourself realizing all kinds of delicious after-dinner pairings that’ll make your dessert even better.

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