Dessert wines...the finishing touch to a delicious meal


Sweet wines have an undeserved weak reputation. Partially, it is because people tend to advance from sweeter, simple wines like a blush zinfandel to a better quality dry wine. But this is comparing apples and oranges. In saying you don't like sweet wines, you miss some of the best wines in the world!

These seriously sweet classics are not sugared to mask faults, like a cheap off-dry or semi-sweet wine can be. They are sweet because the grapes have been dried on racks, harvested very late or attacked by something called "noble rot", which leads to a much higher concentration of sugars in the wine but also an amazing intensity, concentration and complexity. It must be balanced by freshness, and when it is, it's just a burst of flavors in your mouth!

The very best sweet wine in the world is a prestigious bottle of Sauternes from the castle Chateau d'Yquem. Of course, we sell this aboard SeaDream. It is a pricey tipple, but worth every penny. Try it with a good cheese, a gruyere or blue cheese, or a dessert. However, when you pick a dessert wine, make sure it is as sweet or sweeter than the dessert itself, to keep the balance right. Our sommeliers aboard SeaDream can help with that!

-Originally posted 02/12/2015
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