Desserts With A Base Of Apricots

A regional or producer-specific wine outside our standard reference. Body, acid, and sweetness will tell you most of what you need to know — let the first sip guide the plate.

Languedoc's traditional-method sparkler — Mauzac grape, allegedly older than Champagne. Apple, white flower, brisk finish.

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.

Roussillon's everyday sweet fortified — Muscat with citrus peel, dried apricot, honey. The southern French answer to Beaumes-de-Venise at a friendlier price.

Straw wine — grapes dried on straw mats before pressing, concentrating the sugars into syrup. Made in Jura and the Rhône; rare and remarkable.