Make room for
dessert…wine
What’s better than dessert?
The answer is simple: dessert wine. The holidays are here, and
it’s a wonderful time to double fist at dessert, with a spoon in one hand and a
glass in the other. Here are some pairings with desserts to make the season
merry.
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Moscato
Properly named “Decadence,” the flourless chocolate cake from Trader Joe’s is made of chocolate, egg,
and butter. It is decadent. Paired with Moscato that cuts the heaviness
perfectly, the two together make a great couple.
The key to making true Italian Moscato is to capture the natural
fruity aroma and vibrant flavor of the Moscato grape. The grapes are crushed
and quickly pressed. During fermentation the carbon dioxide is often retained
giving the wine its “frizzante” character. Close your eyes and think of fresh
grapes, that’s exactly what Moscato tastes like.
Pumpkin Pie with Orange Muscat
The Quady Essensia dessert wine has a sweet-but-not-too-sweet
taste with flavors of dried apricot, golden raisin, lemon-orange. An American
fall holiday classic, pumpkin pie has similar hearty warmth. The pairing is a crowd pleaser, as the more
savory of American desserts balances delightfully with this very sweet wine.
Panettone with Sweet Red Vermouth
More akin to sweet bread than cake, panettone-style pastries date
back to the Roman times, and are an Italian Christmas staple. Tasting the panettone
is like taking a step back in flavor history, so it is well paired with an
old-fashioned dessert wine.
Vermouth has a medicinal taste that is for the eclectic palate. Vermouth is more potion than drink. The
ultimate cocktail builder (Martinis and Manhattans) was originally used as a
medicinal tonic, with spices and botanicals like wormwood—the German “wermut”
inspired the name. Technically, it’s a wine that is aromatized (infused with
botanicals) and fortified (spiked with unaged brandy). The brandy helps it last
longer than wine, but not much. It’ll start to oxidize after about a month, so
keep it in the fridge.
Pecan Pie with Pedro Ximenez Sherry
Opposites attract in this pairing. At first, it seems like a bad
match, but then the similarities of the two blend together and the differences
complement each other. The average pecan pie tends to be sweet and syrupy, but
some have a touch of savory that makes the match work.
The PX resembles whisky in its flavor, with acidity and
smokiness that seem odd. And yet, together, the syrupy molasses and nuttiness
of the pie provides the perfect balance to the smokiness of the sherry. Where
the sherry is serious, the pecan is merry.
News about the Holiday Party is coming soon!
Check the blog often!
No comments:
Post a Comment