The 9th Blog of Christmas

Desserts and Stickies

When I first met Maureen Petrosky (I did PR for her blissful book The Wine Club), I had no idea that she would soon become a huge influence in my life and career. Being in a professional environment in which I did not see a future for myself made it difficult to find female role models. But, everything changed when I began work on The Wine Club. At the time, Maureen’s book was the only account with which I was truly passionate, and I was consumed. I honestly read the entire book cover to cover in just two days and wholly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about wine. (As soon as time permits I will start a wine club.)

Sommelier, chef, stylist, speaker and author, Maureen has an insatiable curiosity and passion for educating and inspiring people to learn about food and wine. Encouraged by Maureen’s charismatic attitude, as well as her success in both life and her career, I began to seek her advice and guidance when I first began contemplating a career in pastry. As my first real culinary mentor, she candidly gave me her perspective on being a professional woman in the industry. Although Maureen has probably never considered herself my mentor, I've simply bestowed that title upon her because I admire and look up to her as a role model.

Her passion, knowledge and integrity, as well as shared past experiences, struggles and feats have enabled me to take a step back to see the larger picture and, thus, have given me a better perspective and appreciation for my choices. Maureen’s generosity and support also gave me confidence to trust myself to pursue my passion. I hesitate not a moment in stating how important a role she plays in my personal and professional growth.

And, for that, I thank Maureen for being such a gracious and inspiring mentor.

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It’s party season, and when I start thinking about holiday entertaining, desserts and wine come to mind, and dessert wines in particular. I love to entertain but am often confused on what to serve, especially in the realm of dessert wines. Few things are more traumatizing to the novice entertainer than selecting the perfect wines for a party. And since Maureen Petrosky is quite the expert on wines, I decided to consult her for some basics and tips on dessert wines.

Can a wine truly be better than sex? The jury’s out, but I must admit, I do feel a little naughty when I’m sipping dessert wines – those intense, sweet elixirs I like to refer to as “stickies.” Sweet wines aren’t just for beginners – they are sophisticated and can be as sublime as the most intense seduction.

A great slew of styles and shades await your discovery:
1. Sauternes
One of the most highly sought-after sips in this arena, Sauternes is a sweet wine made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. Draped in aromas of honey, dried pineapple, and nuts, Sauternes flavors range from apricot and peach to pineapple and vanilla, as well as roasted nutty notes. This sensuous Sticky can come with a hefty price tag, as vintage does matter since a little weather can make or break the entire year’s crop.

2. Ice Wines (Eiswein)
The extremely sweet, intense and luxurious Ice Wines are mostly made from Riesling grapes, except for those from parts of Canada, where they are made from the Vidal grape. But what differentiates Ice Wines is that the grapes are allowed to dangle on the vine until they shrivel into raisins and stay there until a cold winter’s frost freezes them. With Ice Wine you’re in for a mouthful of thick, juicy sweet apricots, tropical fruit salad, butterscotch, honey and an undeniable sharp acidity that will rock your world.

3. Vin Santo
Full of rich nutty flavor, sipping this delectable libation is said to be like going to heaven. Generally sweet, but some off-dry or dry, Vin Santo are al thick, sticky, high in alcohol, smooth and intensely flavored with notes of toasted almonds and caramel.

4. Ports
While there are four basic categories of Port – Ruby, Tawny, Vintage and White –, when a recipe calls for Port, like Port-poached pears, I grab for a Ruby. With ravishing crimson or ruby hues, Ruby Port tastes like a jumble of ripe berries and vanilla with a dab of tannins.

5. Sherry
Sherry differs from other dessert wines bcause it is not necessarily sweet – it’s actually very dry in its natural state.

Fino – considered by many to be the world’s finest sherry, Fino is pale, light in body and dry in taste.
Oloroso – Ranging in color from deep gold to deep brown, these slightly sweet wines are full-bodied with rich aromas like walnuts and raisins.
Cream Sherry & PX – The sweetest of the Sherries, these are dark, rich, creamy and divine with dessert or all by themselves. It’s chocolate pecan pie in a glass!

Tips:
*Stickies can be a stylish alternative to coffee and tea with dessert, a sweet pleasure in place of dessert, or even as a separate course before or after dessert all on their own.

*When pairing desserts and dessert wines, a general rule of thumb is that the wine should always be sweeter than the dessert.

*Also keep in mind that, as with any wine and food pairing, a sticky with similar flavors and aromas to those of the dessert makes for the best pairings. Serve the wine to complement the dessert.

*Often with a whirl of burnt sugar in the flavor, Sauternes is ethereal with creamy desserts like a luxurious crème brûlée.

*A refreshing Ice Wine or late-harvest Riesling paired with a fruit based dessert, like a tropical fruit tart, makes for a lasting impression and balanced finish.

*Crisp biscotti dipped into a glass of Vin Santo, a butterscotch-colored wine from Tuscany with caramel and nut aromas, makes for an irresistible dessert. It’s supersimple too – remember the combo next time you want something really intriguing to cap off a dinner party but don’t feel like baking all day.

*A Ruby Port with some tannins and spice sumptuously stands up to a dark chocolate mousse, making a perfect match.

*Sweet wines also caress super savory foods and are sensational when paired with rich cheeses. Follow a nibble of stinky blue cheese with a sip of sweet sherry or Port for a truly divine pair.

*In general, dessert wines are served in smaller glasses with a smaller opening, which helps concentrate the rich aromas. Fill those petite glasses only two-thirds full. With these high-alcohol, full-flavored pours, a little dab’ll do ya.

*Follow the basic guidelines of dessert-wine pairing, and your gatherings will always be sweet.

Adapted with permission from Maureen Petrosky’s book, The Wine Club.

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Armed with Maureen’s tips and a bottle of Port, I’m off to start my holiday baking and entertaining.

Note to self: the wine is for the desserts…no drinking while baking.

See more of the Pastry Princess' dessert recipes!

gilded fork, dessert, recipe, pastry, princess, Monica Glass, chef