| I have enjoyed a good glass of table wine many | | | | sweeter than the food it is served with. Good |
| times with my meals. Wine tasting parties have | | | | matches include fresh sweet fruits, bakery goods |
| always been a favorite pastime, especially when | | | | and chocolate and toffee based dishes. White |
| combined with cheese. No, I am not from | | | | dessert wines should be served chilled but not to |
| Wisconsin so I do not rate a "cheese head hat". | | | | cold, while red dessert wines are mainly served at |
| Recently, after a pleasant dinner party with good | | | | room temperature. Because of their sweetness, |
| friends, I was introduced to a new class of | | | | dessert wines come in smaller bottles and often |
| vintages that I had never tried before. The | | | | are more expensive than table wines. It is best to |
| dessert wine I was served turned out to be the | | | | serve these wines in a small glass with a pour of |
| fitting end to a fabulous evening. | | | | only 2 ounces. Dessert wine can be served |
| Grapes used for these type of wines are not | | | | without dessert, but in any case with or without, |
| harvested in the same fashion and timing as your | | | | ready your body for the sugar high that will result. |
| typical table wine grapes. The goal is to increase | | | | Selecting the right dessert wine for your next |
| the sugar content of the grape by mainly | | | | entertainment event could be a little challenging. A |
| harvesting them later in the season. Often a noble | | | | great suggestion is to try a "test-run" before you |
| rot forms on the grapes before harvest. In | | | | plan your gathering. Get your chosen dessert |
| another dessert type named ice wine, grape | | | | prepared ahead of time. Taste the wine you think |
| harvest is delayed until the first freeze. Some | | | | will compliment your dessert choice and note your |
| times these wines are developed by pausing the | | | | impressions. Lastly, taste your wine along with |
| fermentation process. | | | | your dessert. If you find the combination pleasant |
| There are several types of grapes primarily used | | | | to your palate, you are home free. If the |
| in the making of dessert wines. Semillon grapes | | | | combination dulls the flavor of the wine, consider |
| are commonly used in Sauternes that often smell | | | | going with a less-sweet dessert or a sweeter |
| like the wildflowers where it is grown. Muscat | | | | wine. |
| grapes may remind you of orange and honey. | | | | What I learned about these special wines has |
| Fendant and Chasselas are typically found primarily | | | | been known for a long time by cultured |
| in Switzerland. Spicy Gewurztraminer wines are | | | | Europeans. On this continent, we have always |
| good tasting and seem to age well. Fortified wines | | | | appreciated having dessert after our meals, but |
| like sherry, port and Madeira are made differently | | | | have not extensively appreciated what a good |
| than your typical dessert wine, but are also a | | | | accompanying wine could do to our "taste-buds". I |
| great choice and considered in many circles to be | | | | have decided that having a dessert wine in my |
| "honorary dessert wines". Be aware that some | | | | cellar to enjoy occasionally is a personal |
| wineries are making great dessert wines by | | | | requirement. As I always say, select your wine to |
| "late-harvesting" table wine grapes used for | | | | fit your individual taste, store and serve it |
| Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier. | | | | properly, and enjoy. |
| When serving, a general rule is the wine should be | | | | |