What wine goes with dessert? Our pairings from chocolate to fruit
184 wines to serve with dessertWith dessert, serve a wine at least as sweet as the dish: Moscato d'Asti for fruit, Tokaji or sweet Riesling for tarts, Port or Recioto for chocolate. This simple rule preserves all the brightness and fruit of the wine.
For a light dessert or a fruit salad, bubbles such as extra dry Prosecco bring freshness and finesse. Our selection brings together sweet wines from Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Germany and South Africa, to go with every pastry. Explore all our sweet wines too.
Moaï - Pisco Reservado
A pisco reservado from Elqui, made from Muscat, rested in American oak, fruity and balanced.
Capel - Pisco Doble Destilado Reservado Transparente
A clear pisco from Elqui, double distilled from Pedro Ximénez, pure and round.
Alto del Carmen - Pisco Especial
A Chilean Muscat pisco rested in American oak, floral, fruity and supple.
Blandy's - Vintage Malmsey 1981
A dense, fresh 1981 Malmsey, aged thirty-seven years in canteiro, with notes of exotic woods and honey.
Blandy's - Vintage Malmsey 1991
A mahogany 1991 Malmsey, both sweet and fresh, with notes of spice, dried fruit and toasted wood.
Blandy's - Vintage Malmsey 1996
An exuberant, very rich 1996 Malmsey, with notes of candied fruit, old brandy and honey.
Blandy's - Vintage Bual 1920
A 1920 Bual aged for a century in casks and then demijohns, of rare concentration and complexity.
Blandy's - Vintage Bual 1994
A round, generous 1994 Bual, with notes of vanilla, cinnamon and toasted biscuit.
Cossart Gordon - Vintage Bual 1978
A 1978 Bual from Calheta, foot-trodden and aged more than forty years in canteiro, powerful and fresh.
Blandy's - Colheita Malmsey 2007
A 2007 Malmsey both very rich and fresh, between marmalade, candied fruit and hazelnut.
Blandy's - Colheita Malmsey 2010
A rich, velvety 2010 Malmsey, with notes of candied fruit, brioche and honey.
Blandy's - Colheita Bual 2008
A delicate, balanced 2008 Bual, with notes of dried fruit, vanilla, tea and exotic woods.
Blandy's - Colheita Bual 2010
A medium-sweet Bual from the south coast, dense and silky, with notes of vanilla, dried fruit and spice.
Blandy's - Bual 5 ans
A medium-sweet Madeira from the south coast, with notes of raisins, toasted walnuts and vanilla.
Niepoort - Moscatel do Douro 20 ans
A fortified Muscat from the Douro, mellowed by twenty years in old casks, between orange peel and dried fruit.
Quinta de la Rosa - 10 Year Old Tawny Port Tonel 12
The Bergqvist family's 10-year-old tawny, named after the famous Tonel 12 cask: coffee and crème brûlée.
Quinta de la Rosa - Tawny Port
A tawny from Quinta de la Rosa, made from top-grade grapes, generous and lightly amber.
Vite Colte - Grappa di Moscato
A grappa made from steam-distilled Moscato pomace, aromatic and round, matured for a few months in small casks.
Ceretto - Moscato d'Asti 2025
A gently sparkling, fragrant Moscato d'Asti from the hillsides of Santo Stefano Belbo, both sweet and fresh.
Château Belingard - Réserve Monbazillac 2024
A Monbazillac from Pomport, sweet, unctuous and honeyed, with notes of candied fruit.
San Marzano - Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale 11 Filari 2022
A naturally sweet Primitivo from eleven rows of old vines, dried on the vine, between candied cherry and fig.
Medici Ermete - Lambrusco Reggiano DOC Dolce La Favorita
A sweet, sparkling Lambrusco from Emilia, with a fine mousse and indulgent black fruit, ideal with dessert.
Château de Sárospatak - Tokaji Sárga Muskotály 2016
A tiny sweet cuvée of botrytised Muscat from Tarcal, all finesse, freshness and well-judged sweetness.
Torelli - Grappa Moscato Bio
An organic Moscato grappa from Piedmont, floral and clean, to end a meal on a fragrant note.
Which wine for which dessert?
Chocolate, fruit, creams or puff pastry: each family of desserts has its own style of wine. Here are our pointers.
| Dessert | Wines to choose | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate fondant, chocolate cake, chocolate mousse | Vintage or LBV Port, Recioto della Valpolicella | The dark fruit and power of a sweet red answer the bitterness of cocoa. |
| Red berries strawberry tart, fraisier, pavlova | Moscato d'Asti, sparkling Nebbiolo rosé | Light bubbles and crunchy fruit extend the freshness of the berries. |
| Apples and pears tarte tatin, crumble, poached pears | Tokaji, late-harvest Riesling | The candied fruit notes and acidity of the wine echo the caramelised fruit. |
| Creams and caramel crème brûlée, floating island, crème caramel | Tawny Port, Madeira | The wine's aromas of walnut, caramel and vanilla embrace the cream. |
| Citrus lemon tart, lemon cheesecake, sorbet | Sweet Riesling from Germany or Austria, Moscato d'Asti | The acidity of Riesling answers that of the citrus and lightens the sugar. |
| Nuts and dried fruit walnut tart, iced nougat, financiers | Aged tawny Port, Pedro Ximénez | Notes of fig, date and toasted walnut are found in the glass. |
| Brioche and festive cakes panettone, galette des rois, kougelhopf | Extra dry Prosecco, Moscato d'Asti | Delicate bubbles and a touch of sweetness for a light, buttery dough. |
| Tropical fruit mango salad, roast pineapple, passion fruit tart | Malvasia delle Lipari Passito, Vin de Constance | The wine's apricot and tropical fruit aromas extend those of the dessert. |
For a very sweet dessert, go one step up in the sweetness of the wine: the pairing then gains in balance.
Moscato, Tokaji, Port: three pillars
Our take: with dessert, freshness matters as much as sweetness. The Moscato d'Asti from Torelli proves it: delicately sparkling, scented with white peach and orange blossom, it goes with tarts and fruit salads with remarkable lightness.
For richer desserts, two countries dominate our selection. Hungary first, with Furmint-based Tokajis, whose vibrant acidity balances a tarte tatin or a crème brûlée. Then Portugal, with the Ports from Quinta do Vallado: a Vintage or an LBV for dark chocolate, a tawny for caramel and walnut desserts. And for an Italian touch, the Recioto from Zeni, made from dried Corvina grapes, enhances a chocolate fondant.
Three indulgent pairings
Chocolate fondant and Recioto della Valpolicella. The candied cherry of the wine meets the intensity of cocoa.
Tarte tatin and Tokaji. Caramelised apple and dried apricot, a truly indulgent match.
Galette des rois and extra dry Prosecco. Fine bubbles against the buttery frangipane.
The Wine Wanderer Team
Your questions about wine and desserts
What wine goes with chocolate desserts?
With a chocolate dessert, serve a sweet or fortified red: Vintage Port, LBV Port or Recioto della Valpolicella. Their dark fruit and structure answer the bitterness of cocoa. For milk chocolate or a light mousse, a tawny Port, with notes of hazelnut and caramel, offers a more delicate pairing.
What wine goes with fruit tart?
With a fruit tart, choose a sweet, fresh white wine, such as a Moscato d'Asti or a late-harvest Riesling. For an apple or pear tart, a Tokaji brings notes of candied fruit. With red berries, a sparkling rosé brings out the freshness of the fruit.
White or red wine with dessert?
Sweet white wine suits most desserts, particularly fruit, creams and pastries. Red finds its place with chocolate, in its sweet or fortified form, such as Port or Recioto. Against a sweet dessert, a dry red seems austere; a sweet wine, on the contrary, keeps all its fruit.
What wine to serve with strawberries?
With strawberries, serve a sparkling wine: Champagne, Prosecco or a sparkling Nebbiolo rosé. The bubbles and freshness highlight the fruit with lightness. A Moscato d'Asti also works wonderfully with a strawberry salad or a fraisier. Find our advice in the article Champagne and strawberries.
At what temperature should dessert wine be served?
Serve white dessert wines between 6 and 10 °C: Moscato d'Asti and Prosecco at around 6 to 8 °C, Tokaji and sweet Riesling at around 10 °C. Tawny Ports are served at around 12 to 14 °C, Vintage and LBV Ports at around 16 °C. A bottle that is too warm feels heavy: remember the ice bucket.
What wine goes with galette des rois?
With a frangipane galette des rois, an extra dry Prosecco or a Moscato d'Asti makes a light, festive pairing. Their fine bubbles lighten the buttery puff pastry. For a richer version, a Tokaji or a white Port served chilled goes with the almond notes with great elegance.