Red 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 Red Cake · Red Velvet Cake · Red Vlevet Cake +3 more Red Cake · Red Velvet Cake · Red Vlevet Cake · Crab Cakes Poblano Red Pepper · Pistachio Ice-cream Cake With Red Berries · Dark Chocolate Cake With A Red Wine Coconut Glaze

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 Red Cake · Red Velvet Cake · Red Vlevet Cake +2 more Red Cake · Red Velvet Cake · Red Vlevet Cake · Pistachio Ice-cream Cake With Red Berries · Dark Chocolate Cake With A Red Wine Coconut Glaze

Fortified · Full · Sweet

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

Works with Red Cake · Red Velvet Cake · Red Vlevet Cake +2 more Red Cake · Red Velvet Cake · Red Vlevet Cake · Pistachio Ice-cream Cake With Red Berries · Dark Chocolate Cake With A Red Wine Coconut Glaze

Fortified · Full · Sweet

Port aged in cask for years, taking on nutty, caramel, dried-fruit character. The 10-, 20-, 30-, and 40-year designations are the most reliable indicators of style.

Works with Red Velvet Cake · Red Vlevet Cake · Pistachio Ice-cream Cake With Red Berries

Sparkling · Light · Dry

Méthode champenoise from the most chalk-rich corner of France — fine bubbles, brioche, lemon zest, and a finish that goes on for half a minute. The wine for anything fried, salty, or special.

Works with Crab Cakes Poblano Red Pepper · Crab Cake With Red Pepper Remoulade

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 Crab Cakes Poblano Red Pepper · Crab Cake With Red Pepper Remoulade

White · Light · Dry

Italy's everyday white — light, lemony, neutral by design. Pleasant with anything; profound with very little. The best Friuli bottles are quietly excellent.

Works with Crab Cakes Poblano Red Pepper · Crab Cake With Red Pepper Remoulade

White · Light · Dry

Citrus, cut grass, and a wire of acid. Marlborough makes it loudest; Sancerre makes it most refined. Either way, it cuts cleanly through goat cheese, herbs, and anything with shellfish.

Works with Crab Cakes Poblano Red Pepper · Crab Cake With Red Pepper Remoulade

White · Light · Dry

Galicia's gift to summer — citrus, peach, salt air, and acid like a knife. Made for shellfish, paella, and any dish that involves the sea.

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.

White · Light · Off-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.

Red · Full · Dry

California's brawler — jammy blackberry, brambly spice, and 15% alcohol that hides behind the fruit. Built for ribs, brisket, and anything that came off a grill.