Chocolate Caramel Tart

Red · Full · Dry

The benchmark for full-bodied red — structured, age-worthy, unapologetic. Black currant, graphite, and tobacco lead into firm tannins that demand protein on the plate. Decant young bottles; cellar the serious ones.

Works with Chocolate And Salted Caramel Tartlets - · Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart

Fortified · Full · Sweet

Fortified red from Portugal's Douro Valley — sweet, warming, and surprisingly versatile. Ruby and LBV are for everyday; Vintage and Tawny are for serious occasions. Pair with blue cheese, walnuts, or just a fire.

Works with Chocolate Caramel Tart · Caramelized-banana Tartlets With Bittersweet Chocolate Port Sauce

Dessert · Full · Sweet

Bordeaux's legendary sweet white — Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc hit by noble rot, then patiently fermented. Honey, apricot, candied citrus, and a finish that lasts a small eternity. Pair with foie gras, blue cheese, or a fruit tart.

Works with Chocolate Caramel Tart · Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart

California or Pacific Northwest late-harvest white — usually Riesling or Gewürztraminer, picked overripe for concentrated sweetness. Honey, peach, ginger.

Austria's late-harvested whites — Riesling or Grüner Veltliner, often with the laser acid that defines the country. Sweet, but never cloying.

Dessert · Medium · Sweet

Grapes frozen on the vine, pressed in winter for concentrated nectar. Honey, peach, ginger, and acid that keeps the sweetness from cloying. Sip cold, in small glasses, after dinner.

Sparkling · Light · Dry

Asti, Moscato d'Asti, or Brachetto — Italy's sweet, low-alcohol sparkling tradition. Peach, orange blossom, gentle fizz. The summer-dessert wine.

Sparkling · Light · Sweet

Asti's more refined sibling — gently frizzante, only 5-6% alcohol, all peach and orange blossom. The perfect summer dessert wine.

Fortified · Full · Sweet

Spanish table wine, broadly — Tempranillo, Garnacha, or a regional blend. Sun-soaked, food-friendly, increasingly remarkable for the price.

Fortified · Full · Sweet

Port from a single declared year, aged in bottle for decades. Dense, structured, ageless; the pinnacle of fortified wine.

Red · Full · Dry

California's brawler — jammy blackberry, brambly spice, and 15% alcohol that hides behind the fruit. Built for ribs, brisket, and anything that came off a grill.