Did you know that wine can be paired with a dessert?

If you’re serving a sweet wine as part of your Christmas dinner, we’ve got some great suggestions to help you pair the right red wine with your dessert. Red wines are usually high in tannins and paired with something acidic to balance the bitterness. However, when it comes to pairing red wine with desserts, most people think of a dry or semi-dry sparkling red wine. These pairings are ideal for green apple pie. But what about something more traditional like mulled pears or plum pudding?

The following guide provides information about the many different types of red wine and how they should be paired with dessert. Whether you’re looking for a new way to eat cranberry sauce or would like to try a different style of red wine with dessert, there is something here for everyone.

What are the different types of red wine?

First, let’s take a quick look at the different types of red wine.

First, we have the light red wines, with an alcohol content of maximum 12.5%. These wines are usually made from a light-skinned grape such as Pinot Noir. Some light-skinned grapes have a strong cherry or strawberry flavour. Other light red wines have a more subtle flavour.

Next, we have the medium-bodied red wines, with an alcohol content between 12.5% and 13.5%. With these wines, the grape skin is a little thicker. The flavour profile is bolder compared to the light-bodied varieties. Examples of medium-bodied red wines includes Merlot.

Next, we have the full-bodied red wines, with an alcohol content of over 13.5%. They are bold in every sense of the word. These wines are made from grapes with very thick skins. With these varieties, one is likely to taste a combination of flavours including dark fruits, vanilla, and even chocolate. Examples of full-bodied red wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Feteasca Neagra.

A Brief Guide to Paring Red Wine With Dessert

First, let’s look at some of the common pairings of red wine with dessert.

Some good pairings include :

– Truffles with a full-bodied red wine. The dark chocolate stands great to fuller bodied reds due to high tannin. Therefore, the wine possesses bold flavours and will not overpower the dessert.

Our recommendation: Purcari Cabernet Sauvignon PGI – Dry red wine – Wine Chateau

– Apple pie with a sparkling sweet wine. Apple pie is often paired with sparkling wines because it has a high acid content and low sugar content.

Our recommendation: Cricova Lacrima Dulce – Semi Dry White Sparkling Wine – Wine Chateau

– Plum pudding with a full-bodied red wine. Most full-bodied red wines are full of dark fruit flavours. These flavours pair well with plum pudding because plum pudding has a high fruit content.

Our recommendation: Milestii Mici Merlot PGI 2019 – Dry Red Wine – Wine Chateau

– Cranberry sauce with a dry red wine. Cranberry sauce is often served with a dry red wine because it has a high acid content.

Our recommendation: Chateau Vartely Cabernet Sauvignon – Dry red wine – Wine Chateau

– Crème brûlée with a sweet red wine. Crème brûlée is often served with a dessert wine because it has a high sugar content. The best wines for this dessert have a medium to high level of tannins.

Our recommendation: Cricova Pastoral – Sweet Dessert Red Wine – Wine Chateau

– and of course, the traditional Christmas pudding with a sweet red sparkling wine

Our recommendation: Milestii Mici Sweet Red Sparkling Wine – Wine Chateau

Dark Chocolate Brownie with a Red Wine

Brownies are one of the most popular desserts served at Christmas dinner, and they pair very well with a red wine.

The best red wines for this dessert are those with an intense flavour and texture. Therefore, a full bodied red wine will nicely complement the bitterness of the dark chocolate in the brownie.

Examples of wines that would be good with a dark chocolate brownie include:

• Cabernet Sauvignon PGI 2019 full bodied, due to its blackcurrant hints with black plums and saffron notes.

Purchase here: Milestii Mici Cabernet Sauvignon PGI 2019 – Dry red wine – Wine Chateau

• Codru 2019, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon full bodied, the well balanced flavours ending with nuances of sour cherry that will nicely complement the brownie

Purchase here: Cricova Codru – Dry red wine – Wine Chateau

• Red sparkling light bodied, with a bouquet that reveals aroma of red fruits and berries that will beautifully pair with the chocolate intensity of the brownie

Purcahse here: Milestii Mici Sweet Red Sparkling Wine – Wine Chateau

Cranberry Sauce with a Dry Red Wine

Cranberry sauce is a traditional part of the Christmas dinner table. It’s a very tart-flavoured sauce and pairs very well with dry red wines due to its high acid content.

Examples of dry red wines that would be good with cranberry sauce include:

• Dionis 2017, a coupage of Pinot Noir & Cabernet Sauvignon, medium bodied. The bouquet of blackberries complemented by oak barrel maturation notes will not overpower the sauce and will beautifully complement it

Purchase here: Cricova Dionis – Dry red wine – Wine Chateau

• Cabernet Sauvignon PGI 2019, medium bodied. With an expressive taste and aroma of blueberries the red dry Cabernet, with a higher acidity and tannin will nicely pair with the fruity sauce.

Purchase here: Chateau Vartely Cabernet Sauvignon – Dry red wine – Wine Chateau

• Pinot Noir 2019, medium bodied. The fresh aroma of raspberries and strawberries will beautifully pair with the cranberry sauce as the fruitiness of both the wine and the sauce will nicely fulfil each over.

Purchase here: Chateau Vartely Pinot Noir – Dry red wine – Wine Chateau

Christmas Pudding with a Red Sweet Sparkling Wine

Christmas pudding is a rich dessert made with a selection of dried fruits and spices. Many people serve it with a dessert red or white wine because it has a high fruit content and a higher sugar content. Thus, we need to be careful in choosing the wine as we do not want to overwhelm the dessert taste. Our recommendation for your Christmas pudding is a sweet red sparkling wine as the rich and fruity flavours of the wine is a perfect match for the classic Christmas pudding. Moreover, a lighter red will be lost alongside the pudding, and we need a stronger balance which a lighter wine will not achieve.

Our recommendation: Milestii Mici Sweet Red Sparkling Wine – Wine Chateau

Conclusion

When it comes to red wines and dessert, the sky is the limit. There is a wide variety of dry, semi-dry or sweet wines that can be paired with a variety of desserts. When pairing a red wine with a dessert, look for the right body of wine and pair richer desserts with the higher tannin of full-bodied reds and fruity desserts with fruity reds. This will balance the sweetness of the dessert and ensure you have a balanced palate. Moreover, look at the wine as to the final ingredient, that will enhance the taste and create a new tasting experience.

With these recommendations, we hope you have found the right red wine for your Christmas dessert. Whether you like a sweet dessert wine or a full-bodied red wine, there is something here for everyone.