Big and rich, with intense fruit flavors like blackberry, black cherry, candied orange and chocolate, with a touch of spice and herbs. The combination of fruit and spice complements the flavors in Greg’s Persimmon Pudding Cake nicely. I like how the cake’s sweetness offsets the port’s own sweetness, which ensures liveliness and balance in the pairing. Made from classic Portuguese grape varieties (and some Zinfandel), this Californian dessert wine finishes with refined tannins and elegant persistence, and is reminiscent of many fine Portuguese vintage ports.
Port is another example of one of those “happy accidents” which were so prevalent throughout wine’s history (Champagne being my favorite!). In an effort to stabilize the red wine bought back in barrels on the the long journey from Portugal, the British added distilled alcohol to the wine. In at least one instance, the addition of spirits to a not fully-fermented wine halted the fermentation process, resulting in high levels of sugar and an elevated alcohol level. Since then, the process has been refined, resulting in the wonderfully sweet yet complex pleasure we know today as port. GRANT
Pairs With Christmas is Coming, The Persimmon’s Getting Fat- Persimmon Pudding Cake
Price $46
Also pairs well with caramel, cheese, chocolate, dark fruits, dried fruits, nuts, nut-based desserts.
- Category Dessert Wine
- Varietal Tinta Cao
- Region Napa Valley CA
