Always choose a wine that works for you, despite what any experts say.
To pair a wine with dessert, keep three key things in mind -- the acidity, the sugar content and the fat content of the dish. Your wine must stand up to the flavors present in your dish without overpowering it. Late harvest wines generally pair well with desserts, though chocolate follows its own rules. Experiment ahead of time so you'll know what flavors to present to your guests or that special someone.
Instructions
1. Use rich wines like late-harvest gewurtzraminer or sauternes to cut through the fat content in cheese-based desserts. Complex rieslings and champagne also make good accompaniments to cheesecake.
2. Pour lighter wines like pinot grigio or a drier gewurtzraminer with fruit or fruit-based desserts.
3. Serve muscats with citrus-heavy desserts, such as lemon or lime tarts. The acidity in the citrus kills the flavor of any heavier wines, much like vinegar in salad dressing.
4. Pair coconut flavors with sauternes or late-harvest semillons. Pair rich, sweet dessert with high fat and sugar content, like pecan or other nut pies, with a dark, sweet Madeira or port.
5. Serve port, cognac or a late-harvest zinfandel with chocolate. Sweet reds also complement the muted flavor of rich chocolate.
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