Dessert wine selection guide
It is not always easy to choose the right dessert wine. Preference, origin, taste, price and quality all play a role in making your own choice.
You want real Dutch cosiness throughout the dinner. You have selected beautiful wines for the starters and main courses. Now the wine with the dessert. Many dessert wines are a delicious dessert in themselves. We are happy to help you on your way with the most delicious combinations.
What is dessert wine?
The world of dessert wine is one in itself. In dry wine, all sugars are fermented. A dessert wine contains unfermented sugars. In addition, dessert wines are often made from grapes that are full of sugars. The following three methods are the most common to achieve this; drying, freezing and noble rot.
In the case of drying, the grapes are laid out to dry after picking, for example on straw. In the case of noble rot, a fungus ensures that the skin becomes somewhat porous, allowing the moisture in the grape part to evaporate. In the case of freezing, the grapes remain on the vines until it freezes. In the case of pressing, the crystallized water is separated from the pure concentrated grape juice.
White chocolate:
White chocolate is mainly made of cocoa butter, sugar and milk components. The sweetness of white chocolate goes perfectly with the sweetness of ice wine.
View the wines to pair with white chocolate here
Dark chocolate
Cabernet Franc icewine pairs particularly well with dark chocolate. The spicy exotic aromas of Cabernet Franc icewine come into their own when drunk in combination with hazelnut and dark chocolate.
View the wines to pair with dark chocolate here
Cheese
Icewine creates a delicious taste sensation with cheese. This is especially true for cheeses with a strong taste. For example, choose blue cheese, or old and spicy cheeses. Milder cheeses usually disappear in the presence of the sweetness and complex acidity of icewine. But even here, there are exceptions.
View the wines for blue-veined cheese and for old spicy cheeses here
Spicy dishes
At first it sounds very special that ice wine also goes well with spicy (main) dishes. After all, ice wine is mainly seen as a dessert wine. Spicy dishes are nevertheless a fantastic combination with ice wine. Whether you eat Indian, Mexican or Thai, the spicier the dish, the better your glass of ice wine will taste with it. Ice wine keeps the spices in balance with its sweetness. In addition, ice wine is served chilled, which is also pleasant with spicy food.
View the wines for spicy dishes here
Fruit
Whether it is pure fruit or fruit that is processed in dessert, cake or pie, it is downright delicious in combination with icewine. Which icewine goes best with which fruit you can see below:
Cabernet Franc icewine : Strawberries, blueberries or raspberries
Riesling icewine : Apple, pineapple, citrus or kiwi, melon, star fruit
Vidal icewine : Apple, pineapple, apricot, banana, mango, papaya, pear, peach
Foie gras or pate
Finding a sweet wine to complement foie gras or pâté can often be tricky. These foods are higher in fat, and therefore the dish doesn’t give much room to the sugars found in many sweeter wines. However, ice wine isn’t just a sweet wine; it also has a welcome amount of acidity. This complexity makes ice wine a great complement to rich foods.
View the wines to pair with foie gras or pate here
Cake
For a perfect pairing with cake, we recommend choosing a Riesling Icewine. The natural sweetness and refreshing acidity of Riesling Icewine make a harmonious match with different types of cake. Whether it’s a fruity pear tart, a creamy cheesecake, a lemony tart or even a rich chocolate cake, Riesling Icewine will accentuate the flavors and make a delicious addition.
View the wines for the perfect combination with cake here
Finally
The big difference between icewine and other types of dessert wines is the acidity present. While all dessert wines are sweet, only the best dessert wines also have a balanced acidity. This crucial element of icewine not only contributes to the enjoyment of this liquid gold, but also to its natural ability to match beautifully with a wide variety of desserts.