Praline

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 Pink Praline Tart · Praline Ice Cream Dome · Chocolate Praline Cake +1 more Pink Praline Tart · Praline Ice Cream Dome · Chocolate Praline Cake · Paris - Breast (french Puff Pastry Ring Filled With Praline Butter Cream)

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 Chocolate Praline Cake · Praline Mustard Glazed Brie · Ham In Praline Mustard Sauce

Fortified · Full · Sweet

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

Works with Pink Praline Tart · Praline Ice Cream Dome · Chocolate Praline Cake

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 Pink Praline Tart · Chocolate Praline Cake

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 Praline Mustard Glazed Brie · Praline Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin

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

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

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.

Bergerac's slightly more serious tier — Cabernet/Merlot-based reds with a touch more weight than basic Bergerac. The everyday Southwest French claret.

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 quiet treasure — both bone-dry and lusciously sweet wines from the Gros and Petit Manseng grapes. The sweet bottlings are world-class.

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