Bittersweet Chocolate

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 Bittersweet Chocolate Cake · Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle · Bittersweet Flourless Chocolate Cake +2 more Bittersweet Chocolate Cake · Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle · Bittersweet Flourless Chocolate Cake · Bittersweet Chocolate Tart With Candied Oranges · Raspberry Bread Torte With Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache

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 Bittersweet Chocolate · Bittersweet Flourless Chocolate Cake · Bittersweet Chocolate Tart With Candied Oranges

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 Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle · Bittersweet Flourless Chocolate Cake · Bittersweet Chocolate Tart With Candied Oranges

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 Bittersweet Chocolate Cake · Raspberry Bread Torte With Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache · Caramelized-banana Tartlets With Bittersweet Chocolate Port Sauce

Fortified · Full · Sweet

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

Works with Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle · Bittersweet Flourless Chocolate Cake · Bittersweet Chocolate Tart With Candied Oranges

Red · Medium · Dry

Pinot Noir (red) or Chardonnay (white) from the world's most expensive dirt. Translucent, perfumed, ethereal at the top of the hierarchy; honest and pleasant lower down. Drink slowly, with reverence.

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

Spätlese-and-beyond Riesling — overripe grapes giving wines with measurable residual sugar balanced by Mosel-level acid. Honey, peach, slate; ages magnificently.

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.

Dessert · Medium · Sweet

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