Valentine’s sweets call for dessert wines

With the dark days of winter in full swing, and Valentine’s Day just around the corner, your thoughts must naturally turn to escapist fantasies, yes? And what better escape (assuming Hawaii is not in the cards this year) than some affordable luxury? Something decadently, irresistibly sweet. Dessert wine.

Your favorite wine seller will be able to show you many good options. Here are some basic guidelines to get you started on the right foot.

Remember, please, that not all sweet wines are at their best with sweet desserts. If you must have wine with chocolate, best make it Port. And do not for a minute expect a dry red (such as cabernet sauvignon) to do your ganache any good.

In general, you will want to make certain that your wine is sweeter and stronger than your dessert. One gauge of its sweetness is the residual sugar, sometimes indicated on the label as “r.s.” The higher the percentage of sugar, the sweeter the wine.

Many off-dry Rieslings from Washington convey a sense of sweetness at just one or two percent residual sugar, but if you are looking for a true dessert wine, you’ll want something marked “late harvest,” “late picked” or perhaps a rare ice wine, with residual sugar at six or eight percent or more.

Dessert wines are sold in 375-milliliter (half) bottles and 500-milliliter bottles, usually quite slender and handsome. They are not cheap, but remember that a half bottle will be plenty of wine for four people.

Some good examples are made by Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest. Chateau Ste. Michelle recently released a pair of late harvest wines, one from riesling and another from chenin blanc, along with a chenin blanc ice wine. All three are from the 2006 vintage. My favorite among them is the Chateau Ste. Michelle Ethos Late Harvest White Riesling ($40). This ripe, rich and buttery wine packs a real sugar wallop – 23 percent residual sugar – but keeps the alcohol down at 8 percent.

Along with riesling and chenin blanc, many sweet white wines are made from the muscat grape. Quady’s Essensia and Elysium (about $13/half bottle) are fat, full-bodied, tasty wines, one made from orange muscat, the other from black muscat. The Australians excel with muscats also. I especially like Yalumba’s Museum Reserve ($16/half bottle), a nutty, densely concentrated “stickie” with coffee and toffee flavors.

Wines called port are made all over the world, but remember that the true Ports all come from Portugal. That’s not to say that the New World can’t keep up; you can’t go wrong with any port from Australia, especially the tawnies. Much closer to home, I recently tasted a Michael Florentino Cellars 2005 Quinta de la Dolce Bella that was delicious, and used authentic Portuguese varietals grown in the Yakima valley. Winemaker Mike Haddox is selling the wine from his Prosser tasting room for $25 for a 500-milliliter bottle. Contact him at The Winemakers Loft (509) 786-2705.

For the latest on Portuguese Ports, I turn to my friend Roy Hersh, whose Web site www.fortheloveofport.com preaches the gospel of Port knowledge to thousands of people in 64 countries. Roy offers the following recommendations:

•What used to be called Vintage Character Ports are now labeled Ruby Reservas and LBVs. These are sold at very affordable prices and designed for immediate enjoyment. Among the LBVs, Hersh recommends Quinta do Noval, Quinta do Crasto, Niepoort, Warre and Smith Woodhouse. Prices are $20 to $25. These are all made in traditional styles, meaning that they will throw a sediment and should be decanted.

•Among the Ruby Reserve Ports, your best bets are Graham’s Six Grapes, Fonseca Bin 27, Quinta de la Rosa Finest Reserve and Cockburn’s Special Reserve.

•Even better bargains, says Hersh, are the single quinta vintage Ports. These traditionally come from what used to be called “off” vintages. But with improved winemaking and vineyard practices, there are rarely any off vintages these days.

My own personal favorites are tawny ports, which are usually sold according to the stated age. If you want a 10-year-old tawny, choose Niepoort, Ramos-Pinto or Taylor. For a 20-year-old, choose Ferreira “Duque de Braganca,” Sandeman or Quinta do Portal. Graham and Vista Alegre are the best 30-year-old brands; while Sandeman and Taylor are the best among the 40-year-old tawnies. These scrumptious wines can be opened and enjoyed for several weeks without any special care, as long as you put the stopper back in and keep them in a cool, dark cupboard.

Want something truly unique? Look for Rimon’s “Black Label” Pomegranate Dessert Wine ($38). Made in Israel, it is a perfect match for a berry pie or tart. To learn more, please visit www.rimonwines.com.