And for dessert: a wine!

Wines are like people: there are acidic, light, dry, full-bodied, or, of course, sweet ones. Initially, the creation of wines with high sweetness content was related to preserving the liquid for longer during maritime journeys. Nowadays, their consumption is associated with hedonism: they are the finishing touch of menus and add substance to after-dinner conversations. And be careful, we are not talking about slightly sweet red or white wines, as my grandmother used to say. Wines in this category contain such high levels of sugar that they end up being labeled “dessert wines.” To maximize the characteristics of sweet wines, I recommend serving them in flute glasses or in short, rounded glasses that are slightly closed at the top. Don’t forget to check the temperature. Serve them slightly chilled (between 8 ºC to 10 ºC) to avoid dulling the aromas, but cool enough to avoid being cloying. Enjoy them solo, alongside a cheese platter, or pairing with an apple pie. What a wonderful after-dinner experience! THE TYPES OF SWEET WINESJust as with pies and cakes, in the realm of sweet wines, there are dozens of recipes and methods for making them that relate to regions, grapes, and cultures. Here are some of them. ICE WINEAs the name suggests, ice wines are produced in cold places like Ontario, Canada, where the grapes are left to freeze before being harvested. Thus, frozen, they are taken to be pressed to obtain rich textures and honeyed notes reminiscent of an essential floral oil.Icewine Vidal, Inniskillin (Canada) This delicious wine is made with vidal grapes in the Niagara Peninsula. The liquid resulting from the freezing process has notes of tropical fruits like peach and an excellent acidity balanced by sweetness. Enjoy it sip by sip and pair it with a cheese platter or, of course, with a peach cheesecake. LATE HARVEST WINESNoble rot sweet wines are definitely some of my favorites. What makes them special is their rich texture and nectar-like notes. They are generally obtained by leaving grapes like muscatel in the field and harvesting them only after the botrytis cinerea fungus has grown on the fruit. Don’t worry, you won’t get sick from drinking it. What this fungus does is allow the sugars to concentrate to their maximum potential, and when they reach that point, they are harvested.The best examples are Tokaji from Hungary or Sauternes from France, although they are not the only ones. Tokaji Aszú Oremus Mandola (Hungary)Amber in color and with a glyceric texture, this wine made from hard-to-pronounce but beloved grapes like furmint, hárslevelu, and zéta is almost a perfume. The quality comes from its terroirs, the recipe, and its nearly thirty months resting in oak barrels. You will find notes of coffee, tobacco, and quince that enhance fruit-based desserts, dumplings, or curries from Thai cuisine.Sauternes, la Collection (France)This is a highly renowned wine from the Bordeaux region that boasts centuries of craftsmanship. You will find aromas of candied fruits and peach in it. It has a floral quality and the waxy note that distinguishes – and enchants – wines from this designation. On the palate, you will feel it like a silk blanket. I like to pair it with foie gras or very meaty pâtés to counterbalance its sweetness.Casa Madero, Late Harvest (Mexico)Made from semillon grapes and directly from Coahuila, these wines adorn the table without hurting the wallet. Their notes of lychee and orange blossom harmonize well with Arabic desserts like baklava or fingers of bride. DRIED WINESWines of this type are pure tradition. The process consists of letting the grapes dry under the sun on straw mats. The goal is for them to dehydrate by 70% – yes, to become like raisins – before being vinified. This was done since Roman times, and the result of that process includes, among other wines, the Italian passitos or the sweet golden wines of the Mediterranean.FORTIFIED WINESThey are also called “headed” because they are fortified with wine alcohol before or after the first fermentation. But, as you will know by now, there are all kinds of methods for fortifying wine, depending on the region. The main ones are port, marsala, or sherry. These last ones are aged within the Sherry Triangle and produced in multiple municipalities in the area. What differentiates them from other fortified wines is their planting on albariza soils, aging under flor, and the system of aging in criaderas and soleras. The result is creations like palo cortado, pedro ximénez, pale cream, or cream. Lustau PXThe Lustau winery offers a wine made from Pedro Ximénez grapes with an intense coffee color. Its flavor of ripe figs and dates makes it the ideal companion for a strong Spanish cheese.OTHER DESSERT WINESNot all dessert wines contain added sugar or sugar that develops during the process. Other pairing types suggest sparkling wines, red, white, or rosé wines that are dry-cut and will harmonize by contrast with a good dessert plate.  Caricature, Lange Twins Family, 2018 (United States)A few days ago, I attended a California wine seminar where we learned that sustainability and quality go hand in hand under these geographical coordinates. There, I tried Caricature, which is a blend of red zinfandel and petit sirah grapes from Lodi, a wine region that has leaned towards modern wines and methods. The notes that stand out in the wine are those of red fruit pie, jams, and nuts. I loved enjoying it alongside a red velvet cake and chocolate cookies as they highlighted the compote notes.