Ginger Cake

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 Ginger Cake · Gingerbread Cake · Caramel Gingerbread Cake +1 more Ginger Cake · Gingerbread Cake · Caramel Gingerbread Cake · Individual Ginger Cakes With Apricot Sticky Sauce

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.

Works with Fresh Ginger Cake · Upside-down Pear Gingerbread Cake · Individual Ginger Cakes With Apricot Sticky Sauce

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 Ginger Cake · Gingerbread Cake · Caramel Gingerbread Cake

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 Fresh Ginger Cake · Upside-down Pear Gingerbread Cake · Winter-spiced Molten Chocolate Cakes With Rum-ginger Ice Cream

Fortified · Full · Sweet

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

Works with Ginger Cake · Gingerbread Cake · Caramel Gingerbread Cake

Austria's late-harvested whites — Riesling or Grüner Veltliner, often with the laser acid that defines the country. Sweet, but never cloying.

Works with Upside-down Pear Gingerbread Cake · Winter-spiced Molten Chocolate Cakes With Rum-ginger Ice Cream

California or Pacific Northwest late-harvest white — usually Riesling or Gewürztraminer, picked overripe for concentrated sweetness. Honey, peach, ginger.

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

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.

Fortified · Full · Sweet

Portuguese island wine that gets better the more it's mistreated — heated, aged, oxidized into nutty, caramel-tinged immortality. Drink Sercial dry as an aperitif; Bual or Malmsey with dessert.

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.

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