Espresso

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 Espresso-chocolate Fudge · Chocolate Espresso Cookies · Chocolate Espresso Pots De Crème +2 more Espresso-chocolate Fudge · Chocolate Espresso Cookies · Chocolate Espresso Pots De Crème · Italian Hazelnut Espresso Shortbread Cookies · Chocolate-espresso Lava Cakes With Espresso Whipped Cream

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 Espresso Panna Cotta · Chocolate Espresso Cake · Espresso-chocolate Fudge +2 more Espresso Panna Cotta · Chocolate Espresso Cake · Espresso-chocolate Fudge · Chocolate Chunk Espresso Brownie · Chocolate-espresso Lava Cakes With Espresso Whipped Cream

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 Espresso Gelato · Chocolate Espresso Cake · Chocolate Chunk Espresso Brownie +1 more Espresso Gelato · Chocolate Espresso Cake · Chocolate Chunk Espresso Brownie · Filet Mignon With Warm Red Center Dressed In Espresso Coulis With White Chocolate Drizzle

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.

Works with Espresso-chocolate Fudge · Chocolate Espresso Cookies · Italian Hazelnut Espresso Shortbread Cookies +1 more Espresso-chocolate Fudge · Chocolate Espresso Cookies · Italian Hazelnut Espresso Shortbread Cookies · Chocolate-espresso Lava Cakes With Espresso Whipped Cream

Sparkling · Light · Sweet

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

Works with Espresso Panna Cotta · Chocolate Espresso Cake · Chocolate Chunk Espresso Brownie

Fortified · Full · Sweet

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

Works with Espresso Panna Cotta · Chocolate Espresso Cake · Chocolate Chunk Espresso Brownie

Red · Medium · Dry

Cabernet's softer sibling — plum, black cherry, and a whisper of chocolate, framed by rounder tannins and earlier drinkability. The wine that built Pomerol and the one to reach for when Cabernet feels like overkill.

Works with Espresso Steak · Filet Mignon With Warm Red Center Dressed In Espresso Coulis With White Chocolate Drizzle

White · Light · Dry

Italy's everyday white — light, lemony, neutral by design. Pleasant with anything; profound with very little. The best Friuli bottles are quietly excellent.

Works with Espresso Mushroom · Espresso Rubbed Scallops

Red · Light · Dry

Burgundy's most temperamental grape, but the rewards are real — translucent ruby with a perfumed lift of red cherry, forest floor, and clove. Silken tannins and bright acid make it the most versatile red on the table; serve cool, around 58°F.

Works with Espresso Mushroom · Filet Mignon With Warm Red Center Dressed In Espresso Coulis With White Chocolate Drizzle

The Muscat grape family — covers everything from dry Alsace styles through sweet Beaumes-de-Venise to ancient Greek dessert wines. Always perfumed; always smells like grapes.

Works with Chocolate Tart With Espresso Ice-cream · Chocolate Espresso Tart With Double Cream

White · Light · Dry

Citrus, cut grass, and a wire of acid. Marlborough makes it loudest; Sancerre makes it most refined. Either way, it cuts cleanly through goat cheese, herbs, and anything with shellfish.

Works with Espresso Mushroom · Espresso Rubbed Scallops

Fortified · Full · Sweet

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

Works with Chocolate Espresso Pots De Crème · Italian Hazelnut Espresso Shortbread Cookies