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Fine dining is an art and those who appreciate that art are its connoisseurs, for example Dr. Hannibal Lecter. I know talking about a cannibal in an article about food is a cardinal sin, but who values good wine more than Dr. Lecter? It complements your food perfectly and adds to its flavor.
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Only real connoisseurs know which wine goes well with what dish. This knowledge is accumulated through years of expensive wine tasting sessions. Dessert wines are particularly hard to figure out, probably because most people don’t know how to classify it. Here are a few dessert and wine pairings that will help you on your way to become a true connoisseur.
Apple Pie & Moscato d’Asti
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Let’s start things off with something simple and something familiar, like apple pie. If you live in the land of the free and home of the brave, chances are you’ve heard off or even sampled this delicacy. Unfortunately, if you have, you’ve probably ruined the experience by having it with diet Coke or Pepsi. No matter, what’s done is done. Let’s not repeat that dreadful mistake again, shall we? The only liquid that should quench your thirst while you partake in this American heritage is the Moscato d’Asti. Pizzas and the Mafia aren’t the only things Italians are known for.
Nutty Toffee-Date Cake & Tokaji Aszu
The Tokaji Aszu is a very famous dessert wine that has graced the taste buds of many dignified luminaries such as King Louis XIV, Queen Victoria, Beethoven, Schubert, Voltaire and Bram Stoker. Yeah, the guy who wrote Dracula was also partial to this particular wine. The sweetness of this wine goes perfectly well with the sweetness of the nutty toffee-date cake. You can wash down the stickiness of the cake with this tasty beverage. The sweetness of the wine is measured in puttonyos, which means basket in Hungarian, the more the baskets the sweeter the wine.
Strawberry Cheesecake & Lambrusco Grasparossa
Keep the fat kids away. We don’t want any blocked arteries due to the richness of the strawberry cheesecake. All those strawberries neatly arranged on the cake like so many red roses, makes for a wonderful sight. Its taste is just as good as its looks, and with the sparkling blood red Lambrusco Grasparossa wine, it’s taken up several notches. I’ve got to hand it to the Italians, they’ve done it again. They’ve managed to create a full bodied wine that makes my Sundays truly special. I celebrate the Lord’s day by purchasing a slice of strawberry cheesecake from the local bakery and having it with this wonderful wine.
Apple Tart & Ice Wine
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‘Ice wine’, the name sounds exciting, doesn’t it? The way this wine is produced is even more exciting. They wait till the grapes are frozen, while still on the vine, before picking them. The wine that is pressed from these grapes is much sweeter in taste and has a high acidity. Apple tarts go exceptionally well with it. The acidity plays a factor in this equation. Due to its complex process, ice wines are more expensive than your run of the mill desert wines, but what spectacular wine isn’t? The next time you’re in Germany or Canada, try a bottle, because that’s where all the ice wine comes from.
Chocolate Mousse & Argentinean Malbec
Whether it’s a kid’s birthday party or a Michelin star restaurant, chocolate mousse dominates everywhere. It’s chocolate for crying out loud. Who doesn’t like chocolate? Once your fork cuts through its rich texture, you know you’re in trouble, because you’ll never stop at one. A complementary wine is a good idea to stop you from turning into a gluttonous monster. Try the Argentinean Malbec with its sweet taste and violet aroma. It should keep things civil between you and the chocolate mousse. Can’t have you scaring the kids, or the other guests at the restaurant, can we?
To become a fine dining connoisseur you need years of experience that doesn’t come cheap. However, these desert and wine pairings will help you go a long way. The next time you have one of these deserts don’t forget to order the wine that goes along with it, like a true connoisseur would.
Author Bio:
Andrea Warren is the contributor of today’s post; she is a chef at Smiley Cakes, which specializes in cupcakes and birthday themed cakes. She is very creative and continuously searches for innovative techniques and ideas that she can use.
