Attributes:

St. Gabriel

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

Sweet White Dessert Wine

750 ML

Food Matches:

(MOH zel zar ROO ver)—This dramatically beautiful region of western Germany produces exceptional white wines from the Riesling grape. Among the lightest in Germany, these wines usually contain less than 10% alcohol and they are generally delicate, fresh, and bursting with flavor. With its flowery tastes and aromas, Mosel Riesling is a great wine to drink in the spring. Look for the words “Erzeugerabfüllung” or Gutsabfüllung,” which indicate that the wine was estate bottled and not mass-produced.

Attributes:

Robertson

South Africa, Other

Sweet White Dessert Wine

375 ML

Food Matches:

Attributes:

Meier's

United States

Tawny Port

1.5 L

Food Matches:

Wineries exist in all fifty states, but the most predominant (and best) wine comes from Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State, with New York gaining a foothold in the industry. American wines make up about 75% of all wine sales in the US. The appellation system uses the term AVA (American Viticultural Area) to determine where wines were produced, but grape varieties can be planted anywhere in the country. American wineries generally use varietal labeling, and government regulations require that the variety on the label must make up at least 75% of the blend (in Oregon it’s 90%). The words reserve, special selection, private reserve, classic, and so on have no legal definition in the US. Some wineries use these terms to indicate their better wines; others use the words as a marketing tool to move lower quality wines off the shelf.

Tawny Port is a fortified Portuguese wine and describes a wide variety of types. All are made from red grapes aged in wood barrels, mellowing the wine to an amber-brown color with a nutty flavor. (See PORT for more information on the region and fortification process.)