Caramel Custard

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 Caramel Custard · Caramel Custard Or Crème Brûlée · Egg Custard With Caramel Sauce

Sparkling · Light · Dry

Méthode champenoise from the most chalk-rich corner of France — fine bubbles, brioche, lemon zest, and a finish that goes on for half a minute. The wine for anything fried, salty, or special.

Works with Caramel Custard · Egg Custard With Caramel Sauce

France's most northeastern wine region — single-varietal whites from Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and more. Aromatic, structured, sometimes off-dry, always food-friendly.

Roussillon's fortified dessert red — Grenache-based, port-like, with notes of cocoa, walnut, and dried fig. The classic chocolate-dessert pairing.

Loire Chenin Blanc at its sweetest and most age-worthy — noble-rot wines of striking honey-and-citrus intensity, balanced by laser acid.

Sparkling · Light · Dry

Méthode champenoise from the most chalk-rich corner of France — fine bubbles, brioche, lemon zest, and a finish that goes on for half a minute. The wine for anything fried, salty, or special.

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.

The Loire's noble-rot Chenin Blanc — honey, quince, candied citrus, balanced by trademark Chenin acid. Ages magnificently; the sweet wine for those who find Sauternes cloying.

A small Southwest French appellation with an outsized range — dry whites from native grapes, traditional-method sparkling, and quietly serious reds. Curious wines, all of them.

White · Medium · Dry

A small Southwest French appellation with an outsized range — dry whites from native grapes, traditional-method sparkling, and quietly serious reds. Curious wines, all of them.

A tiny Jura appellation — Chardonnay and Savagnin whites, both topped (under flor) and untopped, with the oxidative character that defines the region. Singular and underrated.

Fortified · Full · Sweet

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