Premium red and white table (still) wines have a solid place in wine lover’s hearts. They are the daily staple of our wine-loving lives.
The battery acid hole and grime on the sleeve is a good touch n’est pas???
Dessert wines and Port-styled wines have their own special place for special occasions or special times of the day and are therefore worthy of a blog post and a call to step out of your comfort zone and revisit dessert wines.
Port-styled wines have a special place in Eagles’ Nest’s offerings and few wineries have the special techniques and knowledge to produce these specialized wines but that’s fine with us.
Next Valentines day (or any day you want to make special!) look at desert wine in a new light, and suggest something sweet to your sweetheart…
Dessert wines with their sticky, sweet, luscious, and ever so likable dessert-like character fit the bill.
Some suggested pairings:
Strawberries do best with a highly alcoholic and heady wine…
Orange Muscat a fortified wine:
Domestic – an Orange Muscat from California or globally a French Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is an excellent old world example.
Serve Orange Muscat as an aperitif or dessert; the wine is surprisingly versatile. Try it drizzled atop fresh fruit salad or with caramelized oranges. Another favorite with is this wine is angel food cake made with orange zest – cut the cake in half and lay down a layer of mandarin oranges previously soaked in the Orange Muscat. Add a layer of whipping cream in the middle. Finish with a drizzle of dark chocolate across the top.
Chocolate begs for Eagles Nest’s dark luscious young Ruby Port (Click here!) or dessert wine…
Domestic – Eagles Nest’s “Starboard Dessert Wine” (Port) a Cabernet Sauvignon based Port-styled wine or Quady Winery Elysium California Black Muscat Dessert Wine
Nuts or a crème brulee would go nicely with an older Tawny Port…
Tawny Ports or Port-styled wines are typically aged 7-10 years and have a golden, pleasantly nutty, oxidized character, (quite sherry like if you’re familiar with sherries) Tawnys are a mellow post dinner wine.
Please note that Tawnys do not have the color or fruit characteristics of younger White or Ruby Ports so if you are fond of these, a Tawny may not be for you. I can’t count the number of wine lovers who have exclaimed I don’t like Ports but I LOVE your Ruby Port!!!
Affordable Tawnys from Australia are suggested or you can go with an authentic classic from Portugal
Classic Apricots or Figs can be complemented with a sweet white dessert wine…
Such as a late Harvest Riesling or a good Sauterne or try one of Eagles Nest’s White Estate Port-styled varietals (Viognier or Picpoul Blanc).
Here’s a white, ruby and tawny side by side (Sandeman’s Winery)
