For the holidays: These dessert wines are dreamy with foie gras

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This French dessert wine from the Sauternes appellation in Bordeaux is considered the best wine accompaniment to foie gras. Full-bodied drops often exude intense aromas of ripe apricots, peaches, quince and vanilla. Whether young or mature, Sauternes and foie gras complement each other perfectly. Seductive Sauternes dessert wines come from the Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grape varieties.

This dessert wine specialty comes from Hungary and has a loyal following. Although there are six different grape varieties in Tokaj dessert wines, the lion’s share is Furmint, Hárslevelű and Sárga Muskotály. Tokaj wines called Aszú must contain at least 120 grams of residual sugar per liter, while wines marked “five puttonyos” or “six puttonyos” have an even higher sugar content. Rare Eszencia Tokajs are not only extremely sweet, but are often correspondingly expensive.

Although there are a few dry white wines made from this grape variety, the vast majority of Gewürztraminers contain noticeable amounts of residual sugar. The most sought-after examples come from Alsace, where they often exude an intense rose and lychee scent. You can find more elegant versions from the Italian Alto Adige wine-growing region or America’s Anderson Valley. Insider tip: Gewürztraminer is almost unbeatable with braised foie gras.

If the acidity of Gewürztraminer is a bit too much for you, you can switch to Chenin Blanc, the flagship variety of the French Loire Valley. The rarely encountered dessert wine specialty Quarts de Chaume comes from a small name that has held the Loire Valley’s first official Grand Cru status since 2019. Quarts de Chaume are necessarily sweet, there are no dry examples here.

Like the Gewürztraminer grape variety, Riesling is available in both dry and sweet versions. You should look for Auslese, which has some residual sweetness with the foie gras. Looking at the alcohol content will give you an idea of ​​whether wines are sweet: a low of seven or eight percent means not all the sugar has fermented. Wonderful aromas of dried flowers, honey, ripe apples and stone fruits complement your foie gras.

Source : Blick