Scott's Blog: More Than Just Dessert Wines

February 20th, 2012

It has been said many times, particularly by the greatest producers of “sweet wines,” that the term “dessert wine” is in many ways a misnomer, which can lead to a lack of appreciation of what these wines have to offer.  I recently had a pair of experiences that highlighted this point with two bottles from one of my favorite producers, Zind-Humbrecht: first, a 1994 Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl VT, and second, a 2000 Pinot Gris Heimbourg SGN. 

The ’94 VT was opened at the end of a tasting of Bordeaux reds, and it performed as many of us expected.  The lively and lovely aromatics and succulent flavors centering on apricot and pineapple rejuvenated our palates and stimulated our minds – satisfying, to be sure, but clearly “dessert.” 

A few days later, however, some friends and I decided to both begin and end a dinner tasting with the 2000 Heimbourg SGN.  On this particular instance, it was a truly riveting pairing of the SGN with spicy “potato tots,” infused with bits of pork and jalapeño that so dramatically changed the perception of the wine.  Suddenly the background clove and star anise were brought clearly into focus with the sweet fruit providing merely a secondary accent, while the savory character of the potato concoction was transformed and magnified, balancing the spicy meatiness of the shredded pork and jalapeño within.

Was the sweet wine too sweet for the spicy, savory food?  Hardly!  Rather, the balancing of the polar opposites truly magnified the spectrum between them.  The wine still thrilled at the end of the meal, strutting its buoyant acidity and agility, but what we would have missed if we had simply relegated it to only this role!

So I challenge you: Give your best sweet wines a chance to pair with appetizers and/or main courses.  A great Alsatian, a top Sauternes, or even a demi-sec Champagne are all great candidates for “starting” roles with main courses, particularly spicy Asian or southwest-inspired New American cuisines.  These wines will behave as “dessert wines” if we treat them as such, but they are capable of so much more!

Scott O'Neil is an orchestra conductor and an administrator of the forum on JamesSuckling.com.