Anglaise

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 Fruit Tart With Creme Anglaise · Eggnog Cheesecake With Spiced Rum Anglaise · Vanilla Souffle With Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise

White · Medium · Dry

The most-planted white grape and the most chameleon-like. Crisp and steely from Chablis; rich, oaky, and tropical from California. Read the label, then match the style to the dish.

Works with Anglaise · Eggnog Cheesecake With Spiced Rum Anglaise

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 Fruit Tart With Creme Anglaise · Eggnog Cheesecake With Spiced Rum Anglaise

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 Anglaise · Eggnog Cheesecake With Spiced Rum Anglaise

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.

Sparkling · Light · Dry

Spain's traditional-method sparkling, made in Catalunya. Crisper and chalkier than Prosecco; remarkable value next to Champagne. Pair with jamón, tortilla, and grilled vegetables.

Sweet wines made for the end of the meal — Sauternes, Tokaji, Ice Wine, late-harvest Riesling, Vin Santo. Match the sweetness level of the wine to the dish.

A California crossing (Semillon × Gewürztraminer) — perfumed, lightly floral, mostly used in late-harvest dessert styles. Rare but charming.

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.

White · Light · Dry

The Loire's seaside white — Melon de Bourgogne grape, bone-dry, slightly briny, perfectly transparent. The platonic ideal of oyster wine.

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.

A perfumed Muscat variant grown in California and Australia — orange blossom, mandarin, dried apricot. Almost always made as a dessert wine.