Introduction to Dessert Wines

At your next dinner or holiday party, make sure your guests save room for dessert...dessert wine, that is. They augment or just take the place of the after dinner tea and coffee.

What are Dessert Wines?

A dessert wine is one that potent, sweet, and full of flavor. It is because of their sweet flavor the wine complements a dessert. Often extra spirits are added to raise the alcohol content. In general, dessert wines are thicker, richer, and sweeter than table wines. The grapes are picked late in the harvest to preserve residual sugars.

They come in small bottles and are served in tiny glasses. An average pour is 2 ounces. Therefore, you notice that dessert wines sold in the smaller 375ml bottles (as well as in larger bottles).

Like dinner wines, white dessert wines are generally served chilled. Red dessert wine are served at room temperature or slightly chilled. Dessert wines are especially good with fresh bakery sweets and fruits. It is best to save heavier tastes for winter, lighter tastes for summer.

These wines contain flavors like peach, almond, oak, and herbs, which allow them to show off their flavor, and add a tang to even the lightest dessert. Adding them to a sweet cream or paste dessert always creates a wonderful combination. Examples include fortified wines like port and sherry, and late harvest wines, which originated from grapes that have shriveled a bit, concentrating their sweetness. As a rule of thumb, a dessert wine should always be sweeter than the dessert it accompanies.

Some of the world's great fortified wines include Madeira, Vermouth, Marsala, Sherry, Cream Sherry, and Port.

Contributor: Leo Richards (Buffalo, NY)