Where do you find these wines in GA? Letters to Jane Garvey June 8th, 2006 Dessert Wines for Summer Fruits

Pairing wine with dessert gets a bad rap from classically focused writers. But when pleasure is the name of the game, it's silly to get into a tight over the subject. If you want wine with your dessert, by all means crack open a bottle.

With summer coming on strong, think about seasonal fruit-based desserts and sweeter wines. However, while I'm not rule-bound--in fact, I love to break them and see what happens--one rule that can't be broken is this: Eat not thy sweet dessert wine with a dessert that is sweeter than thy wine. Trust me about this. The result is nasty.

Going easy on the sugar will not only save you a pile of calories and make your dessert go better with the wine, it will also let the natural fruit flavors pop. Make a cobbler with fresh fruit, not that goopy over-sugared canned stuff, and you'll instantly see the difference. The extra work is worth the trouble.

As in all wine pairings, the key to pairing wine with fruit desserts is balance. Fresh fruit flavors pair well with fresh fruit flavors. Not exactly rocket science, but that's what works. These all are done in stainless steel, not oak, preserving fresh fruit flavors. Summer desserts tend to be light and full of flavor, and that's exactly what you want out of the wine that will go with such lighter not-so-sweet fare. Save the syrupy, more viscous, more full-bodied wines for another occasion (Fall season for nut desserts and dried fruits and chocolate).

For great ideas on desserts that pair nicely with wines, have a look at The Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook (Chronicle Books, 2005), by Mary Cech, Jennie Schacht and Frankie Frankeny (photography). Specific chapters deal with specific sorts of fruits, from berries to citrus.

Finally, bear in mind that these wines also make great aperitif wines, especially in summer, with slightly spicy Asian or other exotic appetizers.

Jane Garvey

Food Pairings: Keep sugar at bay in any dessert pairing. Panna cottta flavored & topped with crushed fresh yellow or white stone fruits (or a mix) (see p. 46, The Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook); grtilled peaches stuffed with mascarpone; baked peaches stuffed with crushed buttered coconut macaroons. Winery also suggests fruit sorbets, poached pears (more of a fall fruit but still available now), and apple crisp. We'd also take a chance on it with a salad of fruits and grilled chicken, with a gentle citrus-based vinaigrette. See "Chilled Stone Fruit Compote," p. 39, The Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook. Great "around the pool" summer sipper.

Price: $11
Wholesaler: Atlanta Wholesale Wines

Food Pairings: Lots of uses: orange-almond tarts; coconut raspberry bars; cheesecake with raspberry; apple-almond tarts; pineapple cobbler or upside down cake; creamy bleu cheeses (Combozola) with sautйed pears or apples; puddings baked with fruit; polenta cake or pound cake with fruit topping; fruit-topped custards. In the fall, use dried fruits. Also use with mildly seasoned slightly spicy fare: roast chicken stuffed with cous cous and dried yellow fruits.

Price: $11
Wholesaler: General Wholesale

Food Pairings: Deserts should not be too sweet. Peaches poached in slightly sweetened water and sweet white wine, with a touch of cinnamon and cardamom; fresh stone fruits with mascarpone; panna cotta covered with fresh yellow and white stone fruits (a mix); cream-based fruit tart with peaches or kiwi; not-too-sweet pineapple cobbler; coconut bars with fruit filling (peach or apple); apple crisp.

Price: $19/500ml
Wholesaler: Grapefields

Food Pairings: Nearly universally useful: Cheese cake with light suggestion of raspberry; Whole Foods' blueberry blackberry bar; raspberry coconut bar (DeKalb Farmers Market); peach tart or pie (just watch the sugar); poached apricots or peaches; strawberry shortcake; panna cotta with fresh crushed fruit of any sort; creamy mild blue cheeses (Combozola or gorgonzola dolce) with fruit.

Price: $14
Wholesaler: Unique World Wines

Gruet Demi-Sec NV
New Mexico

Score: 91 Points

Tasting Notes: Light-bodied slightly sweet sparkling wine; coppery straw color. Gentle aromas of red fruits, with a delightful toasty yeastiness. Flavors tilt to tart apple (Granny Smith), pear and other white fruits, with delicious acidity, brisk crispness, and persistent small bead. Creamy texture. Mouthwatering. Finish goes on like a fishin' line. Grapes: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Residual Sugar is 2.5%, low for a demi-sec. Alc. 12%; Total Acidity .7. Sixteen-year-old vines are planted above 4,000 feet. Serve very cold, at about 45-50 degrees, in tall flutes.

Food Pairings: Lots of uses: Mexican-style pineapple upside down cake (see Mexican Everyday, WW Norton & Co., 2005)--other fruits may be used equally successfully; cream- or custard-based tarts with blueberries, blackberries and raspberries; orange-and-almond tarts; guava; fruit-topped cheesecake; awesome with Whole Foods' blueberry blackberry cheesecake butter bars (acidity cuts through the richness); creamy blue cheeses (Cambozola) with sautйed apples and pears. Probably not sweet enough for a typical wedding cake. I'd also bet on it with mildly spicy Asian seafood and chicken dishes. And go head. Drop that strawberry into it.

Price: $18
Wholesaler: Quality Wine & Spirits

Food Pairings: A berry plate with creamy bleu cheese (Gorgonzola dolce or Combozola); black or red raspberry tarts on a cream base; ricotta cheesecake with berries; strawberry (or other berry) shortcake; blueberry crisp or cobbler (made with real fruit, not canned); cherry-covered brownies; strawberries or cherries dipped in dark chocolate. Maybe with mole poblano?

Price: $20
Wholesaler: Quality Wine & Spirits