Sherry, Port, & Dessert

Sherry, Port, and dessert wines are all sweet or fortified styles designed to complement the end of a meal or enhance specific pairings. Sherry hails from southern Spain and ranges from bone-dry (like Fino and Amontillado) to richly sweet styles like Pedro Ximénez, known for its deep raisin and molasses flavors. Port, from Portugal’s Douro Valley, is a fortified wine with vibrant fruit, higher alcohol, and aging styles that range from youthful Ruby to complex, nutty Tawny and vintage Ports. Dessert wines broadly include unfortified sweet wines like Sauternes (France), Tokaji (Hungary), Icewine (Canada), and late-harvest Rieslings, made from grapes with concentrated sugars due to noble rot, freezing, or drying. Each offers unique flavor profiles—ranging from honeyed apricot and citrus zest to caramel, dried fig, and baking spices. These wines are often sipped slowly and pair beautifully with blue cheese, chocolate, fruit tarts, or simply enjoyed on their own.