Dessert Wine Guide

Dessert wine is the most underrated category in wine. While dry wines get all the attention, the great sweet wines of the world—Sauternes, late-harvest Riesling, Port, Madeira—represent winemaking at its most magical. Here is how to pair them.

The Cardinal Rule of Dessert Wine

Your wine must be at least as sweet as your food. Violate this rule and your wine will taste thin, acidic, and unpleasant. A bone-dry Champagne with chocolate cake is a disaster. But a lusciously sweet Banyuls? Perfection.

This is why many people skip dessert wine altogether and serve cheese instead. A perfectly ripe Époisses needs only a glass of red Burgundy. No sweetness conflict, no problem.

The Great Dessert Wines

Sauternes from Bordeaux is liquid gold, literally. The grapes are affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea), which concentrates their sugars and adds honeyed complexity. Pair it with foie gras, blue cheese, or fruit tarts.

Late-harvest Riesling from Germany or Alsace offers electric acidity that balances its sweetness. Pair with fruit desserts, cream-based sweets, or Asian pastries.

Port comes in many styles. Ruby Port is fruit-forward and pairs with chocolate. Tawny Port has nutty, caramel notes that love nuts, caramel desserts, and hard cheeses. Vintage Ports are for contemplation and perhaps a fine cigar.

Moscato d’Asti from Italy is light, fizzy, and barely alcoholic—a palate cleanser as much as a wine. Perfect with fresh fruit, light pastries, or on its own as a refreshing finale.

Pedro Ximénez (PX) sherry is the sweetest wine on Earth, basically liquid raisins. Drizzle it over vanilla ice cream for one of wine’s simplest and most spectacular desserts.

Chocolate and Wine: The Truth

Chocolate is notoriously difficult to pair. Its bitterness, richness, and sweetness create a minefield for most wines. Here is what actually works:

Dark chocolate: Ruby Port, Banyuls, Maury, or a rich Australian Rutherglen Muscat. You need something with enough sweetness and intensity to stand up to chocolate’s power.

Milk chocolate: Slightly less intense options work—late-harvest Zinfandel, sweet Lambrusco, or a lighter Tawny Port.

White chocolate: Its dairy sweetness matches well with Moscato d’Asti or a demi-sec sparkling wine.

The Cheese Course Alternative

If you cannot be bothered with dessert wine, serve cheese instead. A cheese course pairs beautifully with the last of your dinner wine and offers a savory finish that many people prefer.

Or split the difference: serve blue cheese with Sauternes. The salty, pungent cheese and the honeyed, sweet wine create one of gastronomy’s most magical pairings. Roquefort and Sauternes is a combination worth seeking out.