Wine with Sweet Foods

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Desserts, or foods that are very sweet, can only be paired with wines that can stand up to that sweetness. The wine must be sweeter than the food, or else the wine will lose all of its flavors. On the other hand, if the wine overpowers the food, then serve the wine by itself.  (Example, vanilla ice cream would probably be best served alone). My favorite pairing is a bittersweet dark chocolate bar with a Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins from the wine help balance out the bitterness of the chocolate, while the fruit flavors of the wine help bring out the sweetness of the chocolate.

A great tasting activity is to get a piece of white, milk, and dark chocolate, and try a few wines with each. Write down what you love and hate about each pairing. Who knows, maybe your new favorite pairing will be a Ruby Port with milk chocolate covered almonds.