How to match wine and dessert: two general rules

If matching wine and food is an art, a combination of technical knowledge and creativity, to match the right wine with dessert is its peak indeed. Think about it: while the dessert part of a meal is often understated, a dinner with a bad dessert/wine match will be completely ruined. That’s why choosing the right wine for your dessert is crucial for an unforgettable menu: is it better that bottle of sweet white wine from biodynamic farming or the delicate rosè? Or maybeyou should go for the contrast between the sweetness of the food and the fullness of a special red wine? Because so many people are of the opinion that contrast is the best solution when it comes to desserts, often the choice ends on a dry wine or a brut sparkling wine to match with dessert. Nothing more wrong: this choice has the result of erasing the sweet sensation that should be rather enhanced, and we are of a different opinion.

The principle of concordance

Although the final wine and dessert match depends of course on the dessert, we prefer to go with the general principle of concordance, saying that sweet food should be combined with a sweet wine. This principle is generally the easiest one to apply when matching wine and food in general (not only dessert): while in the past many wine lovers believed that contrast is the key, today we really think that food and wine can go hand in hand and make each other complete.

Therefore: follow the principle of concordance and choose a sweet wine for your sweet food. If the sweet wine chosen is made from aromatic grapes even better: a Moscato, for example, is always a good choice to accompany a nice dessert. In general, if you go for a mild wine, perhaps obtained from the use of ripe, strong and aromatic grapes, you are on the right path. Whatever the wine you choose to serve with the dessert, the important thing is that it has a high residual sugar.

Follow the colour

We know that in the wine world all the rules are there to be broken; however, there is one last advice we can give when it comes to dessert and wine matches: follow the colour, as generally the darker the food, the darker the wine that should accompany it.

Searching for the perfect match? Browse our dessert natural wines category and find the perfect bottle for your menu!