Wine
White Dessert Wines
A broad category of sweet wines produced from white varietals whose main function is to serve either as or with dessert. These are produced in many styles from a range of varietals around the world.
Flavor Descriptors
Flavors will depend on many factors although there are some general similarities. Lighter style examples often have floral apricot, ripe peach, and honeysuckle flavors with notes of orange peel, lemon curd, and mild spice. Richer or older examples can also offer notes of dried fruit, nuts, marmalade, and toffee.
Food Pairings
Although most of these are a dessert by themselves, there are some classic pairings.
Lighter style
Meringue, fruit salad, cookies, and tarts (apple, pear, or lemon).
Richer style
Fruit tarts, crème brulée, creamy blue cheeses, nuts, foie gras, and biscotti.
Buying, Storing, & Serving
Most white dessert wines should be served chilled.
Most inexpensive and lighter examples are ready to drink when released and should not be aged more than a few years from vintage date. Many finer examples, however, age wonderfully and show much more honeyed complexity after several years in bottle. The best can age for a decade and more.
Store bottles in a cool, dark place on their sides in order to keep the cork moist.