Wine for the Weekend of 9/20/19

Dessert wine is the wine for the weekend of 9/20/19. Dessert is the end of the meal, consequently I thought it would be fitting to end summer with it. There are dozens of types of dessert wines. Therefore, I will list some of the popular ones with some dessert pairings to match. Always serve dessert wines slightly chilled or chilled. Use a white wine glass so you can swirl it. This is where I reveal the bad news.

There are only two red wines that really work well with all chocolate. They are Cabernet Sauvignon and vintage port. Chocolate enhances the berry flavors of these wines. However, it destroys merlot. Merlot has a fatty characteristic which clashes with chocolate. Get a Hershey bar and try them. Keep in mind that dessert wines are an important part of many cultures. They are drunk almost every day in many countries.

Moscato d’Asti

Moscato d’Asti from Italy is a nice wine that is used as an aperitif or for dessert. It is low in alcohol which is a nice feature if you feel you are close to your limit. Moscato d’Asti has a small amount of bubbles which is called frizzante in Italian. It goes nicely with desserts that are creamy or cheesy or both. My favorite is cannolis. You can buy any producer as long as it says Asti. Do not confuse this with plain Moscato which has no bubbles. Plain moscato is addressed later. Spend at least $15.

Vin Santo

The famous dessert wine of Tuscany, Italy lives up to it’s name. It translates to “Holy Wine.” That’s because it is harvested around All Saints Day or November 1st. The grapes are laid out on straw mats for 3-6 months until they become raisins which concentrates the flavors. Then, they are pressed. Finally, the juice is put into barrels around Easter to begin fermentation in an outdoor barn-like building with open windows. Producers can age it from 3-10 years which is why it is so special and expensive. It is traditionally served with hard biscotti for dunking called cantucci. As a nice tradition, Italians always offer both if you come to visit. Spend at least $40. This is my favorite choice of wine for the weekend of 9/20/19.

Ice Wine and Eiswein

Believe it or not, there are places that make wine out of frozen grapes. By pressing frozen grapes, the flavors concentrate due to less water in the press. It’s a different process from Vin Santo, but gets the same result. This is why these wines are sweet. Of course you need to be somewhere cold to pull this off. Otherwise, the grapes would die before the frost comes. Germany (eiswein) and Canada (ice wine) are two of the best at this. Due to the rarity alone, these wines are pricey. They go with most desserts not chocolate. Spend at least $40.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Port

If you have any Cabernet left after dinner, save it for any chocolate dessert on the menu. You will be rewarded with a true wine and food experience. The chocolate intensifies the berry flavors in the wine. The same goes for vintage or ruby port. There are two types of port. The other, tawny port only works with dark chocolate. Port is from Portugal. Any cabernet should work except heavily oaked versions. For a good port, spend at least $75. There is another style called Late Bottle Vintage port or LBV port which starts around $20.

Riesling

German rieslings come in many versions from dry to very sweet. For dessert, look for the beerenauslese or trockenbeerenauslese versions. These are the dessert wine versions of riesling. They are pricey. Unfortunately, many dessert wines are expensive. Spend at least $30. Due to the incredible fruitiness of dry riesling, you can drink that with some desserts as well. Have you ever had Jewish apple cake? Either way, go for it!

More Choices of Dessert Wine for the Weekend of 9/20/19

1. Sauternes from France can be expensive for top wines (min. $18).
2. Tokaji Aszu from Hungary can be expensive for top wines (min. $20)
3. Muscat/Moscato from Italy, France, Spain and Rutherglen, Australia are more reasonable (min. $15)
4. Recioto della Valpolicella from Italy is pricey (min. $40)
5. Sherry Pedro Ximenez or PX from Spain can be expensive (min $20)
6. Madeira from Portugal can be expensive (min. $20)
7. Sweet White or Red wines are inexpensive (min. $10)
8. Champagne/Sparkling Wine preferably sweeter versions (min. $10)
9. “Stickies” dessert wines from Australia (min. $20)
10. Rosa Regale Sparkling Red by Castello Banfi very unusual try it! ($15-$20)

If you would like to see my cheat sheet for wine shopping, click here.

If you would like to learn more about how to pick a wine, click here.

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