Spice 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 Spice Cake · Spiced Rum Cake · Apple Spice Cake +4 more Spice Cake · Spiced Rum Cake · Apple Spice Cake · Spiced Apple Cake · Spiced Pumpkin Cake · Spice Cake With Bourbon Glaze · Spice Cake With Buttercream Frosting

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 Spiced Rum Cake · Apple Spice Cake · Spiced Apple Cake +3 more Spiced Rum Cake · Apple Spice Cake · Spiced Apple Cake · Spiced Pumpkin Cake · Spice Cake With Bourbon Glaze · Spice Cake With Buttercream Frosting

Fortified · Full · Sweet

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

Works with Spice Cake · Spiced Rum Cake · Apple Spice Cake +3 more Spice Cake · Spiced Rum Cake · Apple Spice Cake · Spiced Apple Cake · Spice Cake With Bourbon Glaze · Spice Cake With Buttercream Frosting

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 Spiced Rum Cake · Apple Spice Cake · Spiced Apple Cake +1 more Spiced Rum Cake · Apple Spice Cake · Spiced Apple Cake · Spice Cake With Bourbon Glaze

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

Works with Spice Cake · Chocolate Cake With Spices

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 Spice Cake · Winter-spiced Molten Chocolate Cakes With Rum-ginger Ice Cream

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.

Works with Apple Spice Cake · Spiced Apple Cake

Fortified · Full · Sweet

Sherry's middle path — starts as Fino under flor, ages oxidatively when the flor dies. Hazelnut, salted almond, dried orange peel. Drink with hard cheese or rich stews.

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

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.

White · Medium · Dry

Lychee, rose petal, and a touch of ginger; medium-bodied, low-acid, and unmistakable. The wine for any cuisine where the spice cabinet did the heavy lifting.

White · Medium · Dry

Lychee, rose petal, and a touch of ginger; medium-bodied, low-acid, and unmistakable. The wine for any cuisine where the spice cabinet did the heavy lifting.