We’d bet that some of the best wine and food pairings of your life have sweet wines to thank for their role in elevating the match. Sweet wines perform magic with desserts too. Summer desserts celebrating sweet-tart berries, from blueberry sorbets to strawberry shortcake, are great with wines featuring similar flavors. Fresh strawberries and sweeter champagnes are a timeless pairing. Raspberry-almond cake brings out the luscious berry notes in port. We could go on and on. Here are four to try this summer.
2005 Braida Brachetto d’Acqui
ITALY, $26
Flavors: very light-bodied, slightly effervescent with strawberry and raspberry notes
Pair with: lighter berry desserts, red berries, dark chocolate
Inniskillin Icewine Sparkling Vidal
CANADA, $75
Flavors: bright flavors of apricot and litchi with an apple-y, acidic finish
Pair with: lighter berry desserts, stronger cheeses
Poochi-Poochi Sparkling Sake
JAPAN, $19
Flavors: slightly sweet with citrusy pear creaminess and fun, refreshing bubbles
Pair with: light or creamy desserts, fresh fruit, berry sorbets.
2005 Quady Elysium Black Muscat
CALIFORNIA, $22
Flavors: richly sweet with flavors of black cherries and plums
Pair with: heavier and creamier berry desserts, dark chocolate, ice cream
[PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE.]The sweet lowdown
* The wine should always be just slightly sweeter than the dessert it accompanies.
* Serve dessert wines well chilled.
* Pair lighter-bodied (usually lower-alcohol) sweet wines with lighter berry desserts, and fuller-bodied sweet wines with heavier berry desserts.
