Christmas decorations are hung, the first gifts are beautifully packaged, and the vagrants are already winking at you. It’s time to take a well-deserved breather.
Biscuits don’t always have to be tea or coffee… As long as dessert wines are sweeter than biscuits, they’re a pleasure to drink with sugary baked goods. Residual sweetness is therefore a must.
Portuguese sophistication
While the relationship status of wine and chocolate is considered complex, port wine and chocolate are a classic dream couple.
In particular, Tawny Port can easily keep up with the intense taste of cocoa with the complex aromas of dried fruits such as dates and figs, as well as the aging nutty notes of wood.
A glass of tawny would go great with a Brunsli or a chocolate sablé. With an alcohol content of about 18 to 21% by volume, port wine should not be too many glasses, as it falls under the heavy boom category.
An aroma show
Gingerbread is an essential part of the Advent season. Cinnamon, cloves, and anise quickly frighten the Christmas fever. Strong obscenity requires a substantial competitor. Noble sweet wines are an excellent choice.
Grapes are used for their production, which are either harvested late or attacked by the noble mold botrytis. This causes the water in the fruit to evaporate, leaving only the pulp.
That’s why the acidity and sweetness are so intense. That’s why a Sauternes or a Tokajer has the strength and freshness to shine alongside Lebkuchen, Läckerli and Co.
sweet life
The family ties between Amarone and Ripasso are well known. Another relative made from the same grape varieties (mainly Corvina and Rondinella) is Recioto della Valpolicella. For several months, Recioto and Amarone grapes are dried on special racks in well-ventilated rooms, so that later wines rich in extracts can be obtained.
Unlike Amarone, Recioto della Valpolicella has significantly more sugar residues as it is not fully fermented. It can easily come across as a stylish dessert on its own. The restraint is really out of place here, as its round, velvety character combines perfectly with delicate biscuits such as buttery, Mailänderli or vanilla crescent.