You have perfectly paired your juicy filet with a smooth glass of Merlot, but now it’s time for dessert and you’re looking for a savory glass of wine or cocktail to end your meal with. Dessert wines and cocktails are the perfect way to enhance your rewarding treat after a meal. The right dessert wine is typically slightly sweeter than the dessert itself to achieve the best balance of flavors. Don’t let the name “dessert wine” steer you away, even for those that tend to stay away from sweet wines, there is an excellent option for everyone. Ranging from light, fuzzy, and off-dry to dark, full-bodied, and fortified, there is a match for every taste and every dessert.
Categories of Dessert Wines
Finish your meal with a tasty dessert and crisp glass of wine. A satisfying, light wine can be the perfect addition to your dessert of choice, helping to balance out the flavors. Dessert wines can be found in a few different varieties, each offering their own unique hint of sweetness.
Fortified Wines
Fortified wines are wines that have a distilled spirit added to them during the fermentation process, usually brandy. There are a few varieties of popular fortified wines including port, sherry and madeira. Port wines are the most popular and notable of the fortified dessert wines and range from ruby to white.
Late Harvest Wine
Late harvest wines are made from grapes that have been left on the vine longer than usual. Varieties of late harvest wines include Riesling, Moscato, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. Moscato is a popular dessert wine known for their sweet or dry and fruity flavors.
Noble Rot Wines
Noble rot wines are made grapes that are affected by a grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea. One popular noble rot wine is Sauternes, the fuller flavor of this wine is balanced by a touch of acidity and gold fruit including peaches and apricots.
Ice Wines
Ice wines are made from grapes that have been frozen on the vine, adding a complex taste. What causes ice wines to be sweet is the initial act of freezing, when the grapes freeze the water inside of them freezes but the sugars and dissolved solids do not.
Our Favorite Dessert Cocktails
Whether you’re looking for something hot or cold, creamy or fruit, a delicious dessert cocktail can satisfy all your cravings and be the perfect ending to a satisfying meal. The innovative cocktails at Ruth’s Chris are so good you could ALMOST skip the actual dessert. Ruth’s Chris has a tasty selection of cocktails that are light, satisfying, and exactly what you need to round out the end of your meal. Some of our favorites are:
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- The Chrissie – Frangelico, Hangar One vodka, Chambord, vanilla ice cream.
- Patron XO Espresso Martini – Parton XO Café, Bileys, Stoli Vanil, Kahlua, cream.
- Godiva Chocolate Martini – Godiva Dark Chocolate, Stolichnaya Vanilla Vodka, Kahlua and cream.
Visit a Ruth’s Chris Near You to Enjoy a Dessert Wine or Cocktail
Stay a little longer when dining at Ruth’s Chris, enjoy a mouthwatering dessert with a rewarding dessert wine or cocktail. To learn more about our locations, menu items, and seasonal promotions or to make a reservation you can visit our website or give us a call.