That’s why food should never be sweeter than wine
Why should food never be sweeter than wine? Learn more about the effects of sweetness in food on the taste of wine. Liebherr wine expert and master sommelier Frank Kämmer explains in this article.
The key points
- Food should never be sweeter than wine.
- Dry wines can taste unpleasant with sweet dishes.
- Sweet wines go better with desserts.
- Savoury dishes can also have sweet components.
Sweet treats to accompany wine – list of contents
Which wine to choose with sweet dishes?
One of the most important principles, but unfortunately one that is far too often disregarded, is that food should never be sweeter than wine. That’s because: if you drink a dry wine with sweet dishes, it will taste incredibly sour, even musty.
Therefore, you should not be tempted to serve a dry wine with sweet desserts, even if it has a fruity aroma.
A sweet Gewürztraminer Auslese wine will certainly go well with dessert, whereas a dry Gewürztraminer, even if it has a similar aroma, will not.
Sweet elements in savoury cuisine and their effect on wine
But it’s not just the obvious sweetness found in desserts that you should pay attention to. Many other dishes that you wouldn’t expect to have sweet elements sometimes do. For example, vegetables glazed in butter can add a certain sweetness to a dish, just as the meat of shellfish often has a slight sweetness. Similarly, reduced gravy sauces often have a subtle sweetness. Here, too, care should be taken not to serve wines that are “bone dry” and overly acidic.
The author
Frank Kämmer
I have worked for many years in high-end restaurants and during this time became one of the top sommeliers in Europe. In 1996, I achieved the title of Master Sommelier; the highest international qualification in my profession. Today, I work full-time as a consultant in the international wine and gastronomy industry. I have also published numerous books on wines and spirits and was the first German to be accepted into the British Circle of Wine Writers.
