Four Festive Holiday Desserts and Perfect Wines for Pairing

What better time than the holidays to share decadent desserts with friends and family? Sweet treats made from traditional recipes handed down through generations, regional confections from areas to which we’ve traveled and even store-bought delights are guaranteed to make a luscious statement.  If you’re like me, any dessert tastes better when a perfectly matched wine is sipped. Just remember this quick (and important) tip for choosing that wine: it should be sweeter than the dessert.

I’ve been lucky enough in recent weeks to taste more than a few wines with desserts either at friends’ homes, when dining in another country or right here at home. Some were surprising complements, others I knew would be on point. Now, it’s the perfect time to share my discoveries. Although each wine explained below has the ability to be paired with an array of cheeses, nuts and dried fruits, consider my mouthwatering recommendations as a delightful complement.

Crème Brulèe and Taylors 10-Year-Old Tawny Port

Earlier this fall, I had the opportunity to visit Porto and the North where I indulged in wine, food and well, you know…all that this exciting region offers. As a sweet finale to lunch one day at Barão Fladgate Restaurant, a rich, textured crème brulèe with dried fruit crumble, caramelized popcorn, currants and raspberry ice cream was served. A classic pairing was a memorable glass of Taylors 10 Year Old Tawny Port ($30) from indigenous grapes Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cao and Tinta Amarela cultivated in Portugal’s Douro Valley.

Tawny Ports are very sweet and aged in smaller, seasoned oak barrels resulting in delicate pale brown colored Port. The longer it ages, more notes of fig and nuts are evident on the nose and palate. Fine Tawny Ports are aged 3-4 years in wooden casks, Aged Tawnies are blended with 10, 20, 30 or more than 40 years of ageing in seasoned oak casks. Reserve Tawny Ports are aged 7 years in seasoned oak casks. The wine I tasted from Taylor’s, a 10 Year Old Tawny, is matured in seasoned oak cases, each holding around 630 liters of wine.

On the nose and palate, I discovered luscious, broad flavors of ripe berries, ripe figs, nuts, chocolate, caramel, wood and mature fruit. I can’t imagine having any other wine with the caramel, vanilla and burnt sugar topping of the crème brulèe than the Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny. Magnificent!

Panettone with Soria Moscato d’Asti DOCG

You’re planning an Italian feast? Don’t forget the traditional panettone for dessert and the Soria Moscato d’Asti DOCG ($13) for sipping. While in the Asti area of the region of Piemonte in Italy a couple of weeks ago, I tasted both and I couldn’t have been more satisfied. From Matteo Soria Winery, the wine is of 100% Moscato Bianco cultivated on calcareous limestone soil on hillside slopes. Straw-yellow in the glass, this sweet sparkling exuded intense aromas of juicy peaches and acacia flowers. On the elegant palate, I noted vibrant acidity, notes of apricots, peaches, hint of citrus and salinity. Boasting an alcohol level of only 5%, it was easy enough to ask for another pour!

You, too, can pair this authentic wine from Matteo Soria with panettone, a fluffy cake that boasts a festive Italian flair with each bite. Indulge in the warmth of butter, sugar, candied fruit, raisins and milk that, when blended into a golden dough, finally baked and finished, offers sweet and citrus-like flavors that taste even better with a chilled glass of Matteo Soria Moscato d’Asti.

Tiramisu with Chateau Dauphine-Rondillon Loupiac 2009

Complementing an authentic Italian tiramisu with a stunning sweet Bordeaux? Why not? From Loupiac (across the Garonne River from Sauternes) in the Entre-Deux-Mers sub-region of Bordeaux, I discovered this elegant golden Bordeaux, Chateau Dauphine-Rondillon Loupiac 2009 ($23) (sent as a sample).

By law, only white grapes Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle may be used in sweet Bordeaux wines. The vast majority in these blends is the thin-skinned Semillon, a difficult grape to grow although it’s optimal for producing sweet wine due to its ability to withstand attacks of botrytis, the “good” fungus that grows on grapes when conditions are humid and warm. In this region, the fungus affects the Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc causing them to shrivel like a raisin, resulting in a rich concentration of flavors, acidity and sugars.

Chateau Dauphine-Rondillon ($23) was a highly aromatic, creamy and if I dare say, decadent, wine of botrytis-affected grapes of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc cultivated on soils of gravel and clay-chalk in sustainable 100-year-old vineyards. Native yeasts were used for barrel fermentation and the wine was aged for 18 months in French oak. Of deep gold in the glass, I basked in the aromas of dried apricots, dried pineapple, orange jam and the slightest hint of exotic spice. On the palate, flavors reflecting the aromas along with earth, smoke, and minerality were structured and balanced. Bright acidity, full body and a rich mouthfeel were additional components that paired beautifully with the rich, creamy tiramisu.

Ginger Cookies with Vina AB Amontillado Sherry

Whether you’re baking gingerbread men or gingersnaps, pairing either with Amontillado Sherry may prompt a second or third batch! Vina AB Amontillado Sherry ($26) (sent as a sample) is a fragrant, flavorful wine from Gonzalez Byass made from premium Palomino Fina grapes cultivated in high-quality vineyards in DO Jerez-Xeres-Sherry located in southwest Spain.

The Amontillado style of sherry experienced ageing under flor as well as oxidative ageing and spent 12 years in the oak casks following the traditional Solera system. Light amber in the glass, I discovered enticing, dominant aromas of hazelnuts, butterscotch, newly-cut wood and Christmas spice in this Amontillado. On the palate, I noted precise acidity and flavors of oak, raw almonds, dried apricots and orange peel; the finish was lengthy and satisfying. I was more than thrilled with sips of this flavorful wine and bites of warm gingersnap cookies – a delicious surprise that I’ll be revisiting again! (For more about sherry production and different styles, please click here.)

Do you have a favorite wine and holiday dessert pairing? Share in the comments below.

Cheers! ~ Cindy

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