SWEET AND FORTIFIED WINES: how to serve and preserve

They’re among the best value, and most delicious, wines in the world. But there can still be uncertainty among wine lovers around how best to enjoy these classic and characterful styles. Anne Krebiehl MW asks the experts for their food-pairing tips

- Anne Krebiehl MW

We all know what to do with white, red, rosé and sparkling – but what about sweet and fortified wines? These unmatched, flavour-laden classics – because that is what they are – are often overlooked simply because we’re not sure how, when, and with what to serve them. We have therefore consulted the experts to provide practical answers and some surprising food pairings. It turns out there are whole worlds to discover beyond the delicious but clichéd PortStilton and Sauternes-foie gras combos of yore.

Nobly sweet wines

Heidi Schröck, the Austrian doyenne of nobly sweet Ruster Ausbruch, as well as auslese, beerenauslese (BA) and trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) from Rust in Austria’s Burgenland region – prefers to serve her wines between 12°C-14°C. She loves ‘creative and unexpected’ flavour combinations and signals this clearly on her labels. ‘Ottolenghi recipes lend themselves excellently,’ she says, but also suggests prosciutto with spätlese, aged Gouda with BA, chili-cheese sausages or lamb tagine with Ausbruch. She notes that desserts should not be too sweet – apple tart with rosemary would be perfect.

Aline Baly, who runs Château Coutet in Barsac, Bordeaux, has perfected the art of serving sweet wines with every course. While her ‘absolute favourite’ pairing is lobster, she swears by shellfish starters, roast chicken for main and fresh strawberries for dessert. So don’t restrict yourself to aperitif or dessert for these intense, golden wines.