Desserts With A Base Of Fruit

Sparkling · Light · Dry

Piedmont's sweet, low-alcohol sparkler from the Moscato grape — peach, honeysuckle, apricot. Made for dessert or for an afternoon on a hot day.

Sauternes's quieter neighbor — slightly leaner, more delicate noble-rot sweet whites at often half the price. Same Semillon-Sauvignon blend, more restraint.

Southern Rhône's classic fortified sweet white — Muscat à Petits Grains with peach, orange blossom, honey. Pair with fresh fruit or blue cheese.

Sparkling · Light · Dry

Champagne made from Chardonnay only — leaner, more lemony, more chalk-driven than blended Champagne. The aperitif Champagne.

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.

Sauternes's neighbor across the Garonne — botrytized Semillon-Sauvignon sweet whites at a fraction of Sauternes's price. Honey, apricot, gentle structure.

Southwest France's affordable Sauternes — Semillon and Sauvignon hit by noble rot, just over the river from Bordeaux. Honey, apricot, candied citrus at half the price.

The Loire's grandest sweet white — Chenin Blanc affected by noble rot, made in tiny quantities. Honey, dried apricot, decades of ageability.

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.

White · Medium · Off-dry

Chenin Blanc from the Loire — runs from sec (dry) through demi-sec (off-dry) to moelleux (sweet). The demi-sec is the cheat code for spicy food.