Pear Tart

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 Pear Tarte Tatin · Pear Tart W/ Stilton Cheese · Caramelized Upside-down Pear Tart +2 more Pear Tarte Tatin · Pear Tart W/ Stilton Cheese · Caramelized Upside-down Pear Tart · Pear And Hazelnut Frangipane Tart · Caramelized Pears And Blue Cheese (gorgonzola) Tarts

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

Works with Caramelized Upside-down Pear Tart · Pear And Hazelnut Frangipane Tart · Rustic Pear Tart With Late-harvest Riesling

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 Pear Tart W/ Stilton Cheese · Caramelized Pears And Blue Cheese (gorgonzola) Tarts

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.

Works with Pear Tart W/ Stilton Cheese · Caramelized Pears And Blue Cheese (gorgonzola) Tarts

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 Caramelized Upside-down Pear Tart · Pear And Hazelnut Frangipane Tart

Red · Light · Dry

Burgundy's most temperamental grape, but the rewards are real — translucent ruby with a perfumed lift of red cherry, forest floor, and clove. Silken tannins and bright acid make it the most versatile red on the table; serve cool, around 58°F.

Works with Pear Tart W/ Stilton Cheese · Caramelized Pears And Blue Cheese (gorgonzola) Tarts

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

Sparkling · Light · Sweet

Asti's more refined sibling — gently frizzante, only 5-6% alcohol, all peach and orange blossom. The perfect summer dessert wine.

Dessert · Medium · Sweet

The Muscat grape made into sweet, low-alcohol, aromatic wines. Asti is the sparkling expression; still versions range from dry (rare) to dessert-sweet (common). Always smells like grapes.

White · Medium · Dry

Aromatic, racy, and shapeshifting — bone-dry in Alsace, off-dry on the Mosel, syrupy and ageless when late-harvested. The single most versatile wine for spicy food on earth.

Southwest France's sister wine to Madiran — both bone-dry and lusciously sweet whites from Petit Manseng. The sweet bottlings rival Sauternes at a fraction of the price.

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.