Sweet wine

Dessert-level sweet wines, often botrytized or made from dried grapes.

• Blue cheese

  Classic

  Salt and sweetness are opposites that flatter each other; the wine's acidity keeps the pairing from cloying. Sauternes and Roquefort is the canonical example.

• Fruit desserts and tarts

  Classic

  Honeyed concentration matches baked fruit, and the wine's acidity keeps the pairing lively rather than sugary.

• Foie gras and rich pâté

  Classic

  Botrytized sweetness cuts extreme richness while matching its luxury — the classic Sauternes pairing.

Pairing suggestions are editorial, drawn from established convention rather than measurement.