Sweet wines need to match or out-sweeten the dessert. Moscato d'Asti, Brachetto d'Acqui, Recioto della Valpolicella and Passito di Pantelleria cover the ground from light fruit tarts to dense chocolate.
Light, fruity desserts (panna cotta, fruit tart, cheesecake): Moscato d'Asti for low alcohol and gentle sweetness. Read more
Grape colour mix
100%
red
Sweet wines must be at least as sweet as the dessert. Moscato d'Asti for fruit and cream; Brachetto for milk chocolate; Recioto and Passito for dark.
Moscato d'Asti, Vin Santo and Recioto must be as sweet as the dessert.
Dry reds and dry whites read sour next to sugar. Save them for after the dessert plate is cleared.
Chianti and Barbera taste sour beside chocolate or caramel; choose Recioto or Moscato d'Asti.
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Chocolate cake is dense and intensely sweet; the wine has to match the sugar or it reads tart by comparison. Brachetto d'Acqui's frothy red-berry sweetness works for milk chocolate; Recioto della Valpolicella covers dark chocolate and deeper bittersweet bakes. Passito di Pantelleria adds raisin notes for fruit-and-chocolate combinations.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
Cheesecake's combination of cream cheese, sugar and (often) fruit topping wants a wine with citrus and gentle sweetness. Moscato d'Asti is the classic match: low alcohol, gentle bubbles, ripe peach and orange-blossom notes. For richer New York-style cheesecakes, Vin Santo del Chianti Classico adds depth.
Perfect grape varieties
Also worth trying
Appellations to explore
<p>Light, fruity desserts (panna cotta, fruit tart, cheesecake): Moscato d'Asti for low alcohol and gentle sweetness. Berry-forward and chocolate desserts: Brachetto d'Acqui or Recioto della Valpolicella. Dark chocolate, bitter notes: Passito di Pantelleria, Vin Santo del Chianti Classico, or a fortified Marsala Vergine. The wine needs at least as much sugar as the plate.</p>
Match or out-sweeten the chocolate. Brachetto d'Acqui for milk chocolate; Recioto della Valpolicella for dark chocolate; Passito di Pantelleria for fruit-and-chocolate combinations.
Moscato d'Asti is the canonical match: low alcohol, gentle bubbles, ripe peach and orange-blossom notes. For richer New York-style cheesecakes, Vin Santo del Chianti Classico adds depth.
Dessert sugar makes wine taste sour by comparison. The wine must be at least as sweet as the dessert to read in balance. This is why dry reds clash with most chocolate desserts.
Brachetto d'Acqui for milk-chocolate mousses; Recioto della Valpolicella, Passito di Pantelleria or barrel-aged Vin Santo for darker (75% cacao or above) versions.
