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Default food and wine pairing question

I need some advice. I am planning to bake a chocolate bourbon cake,
and would like to know what wine you'd recommend I pair it with. My
knowledge of wines is regrettably very limited, and, since the cake is
already liquor-spiked, the task of selecting a complementary wine is
twice as daunting for me. Any recommendations or words of advice?
Should I be looking into ports or sherries? Thank you so much, in
advance, for your help.

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st.helier
 
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> said.....
>I need some advice. I am planning to bake a chocolate bourbon cake,
> and would like to know what wine you'd recommend I pair it with. My
> knowledge of wines is regrettably very limited, and, since the cake is
> already liquor-spiked, the task of selecting a complementary wine is
> twice as daunting for me. Any recommendations or words of advice?
> Should I be looking into ports or sherries? Thank you so much, in
> advance, for your help.


Some would say that matching a chocolate dessert with wine is somewhere
between difficult and impossible.

Generally the stronger the flavours in the dessert, the more difficult (and
your chocolate/bourbon cake does sound daunting on its own without trying to
match) because the wine is overpowered by the chocolate and loses all
character.

I initially thought a Rutherglen Muscat (Australian fortified) but although
these are very sweet and have that certain "spiritiness" about them, I think
that the match would be unsuccessful.

The only wine I have found was a fortified red from Banyuls (France) -
although I once tried a dessert Cabernet made here in NZ which worked.

Dark or bittersweet chocolates need a wine that offers a roasted, slightly
bitter flavor itself, with perhaps a hint of its own chocolate notes.

Are there any late harvest Zins around with some RS?

--

st.helier


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Andrew Goldfinch
 
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A good quality Pedro Ximenz Sherry (Lustau comes to mind) may have the
power to work with that kind of dessert. Enjoy the challenge.



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DaleW
 
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I'm the worst person here to answer this,as I don't eat desserts. But
reading the other reasonable responses gave me an idea. While Banyuls
or late-harvest Zin are good ideas, what about NOT trying to go for
something as heavy/powerful as the cake, and going for something red,
sparkling, and a bit sweet? I'm thinking Brachetto d'Aqui, or Cerdon de
Bugey (latter hard to find unless you're in a big market).

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cutecat
 
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> wrote in message
ups.com...
>I need some advice. I am planning to bake a chocolate bourbon cake,
> and would like to know what wine you'd recommend I pair it with. My
> knowledge of wines is regrettably very limited, and, since the cake is
> already liquor-spiked, the task of selecting a complementary wine is
> twice as daunting for me. Any recommendations or words of advice?
> Should I be looking into ports or sherries? Thank you so much, in
> advance, for your help.


When I make Maida Heatter's Pecan Bourbon Cake, a Pedro Ximenez goes
beautifully. But with the inclusion of chocolate into the mix, I admit that
I would probably offer coffee, cream, and bourbon separately, and people
could decide what to put in their cup and sip.


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Hunt
 
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In article et>, cmarque2@ix
..netcom.com says...
>
>
> wrote in message
oups.com...
>>I need some advice. I am planning to bake a chocolate bourbon cake,
>> and would like to know what wine you'd recommend I pair it with. My
>> knowledge of wines is regrettably very limited, and, since the cake is
>> already liquor-spiked, the task of selecting a complementary wine is
>> twice as daunting for me. Any recommendations or words of advice?
>> Should I be looking into ports or sherries? Thank you so much, in
>> advance, for your help.

>
>When I make Maida Heatter's Pecan Bourbon Cake, a Pedro Ximenez goes
>beautifully. But with the inclusion of chocolate into the mix, I admit that
>I would probably offer coffee, cream, and bourbon separately, and people
>could decide what to put in their cup and sip.


For my wife's pecan w/ tiny amt. of Bourbon (usually lifted from my small-
batch stash, when I'm elsewhere), we usually do PX, or Porto Barros 20yr
Tawny. The Barros has a nice pecan note in it. Though Taylor 20 is my favorite
Tawny, I'll always grab the Barros for this pie. Now, please note, there is
NO chocolate, whatsoever in this recipe.

Hunt



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cutecat
 
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"Hunt" > wrote in message
...
> In article et>,
> cmarque2@ix
> .netcom.com says...
>>
>>
>>
>>When I make Maida Heatter's Pecan Bourbon Cake, a Pedro Ximenez goes
>>beautifully. But with the inclusion of chocolate into the mix, I admit
>>that
>>I would probably offer coffee, cream, and bourbon separately, and people
>>could decide what to put in their cup and sip.

>
> For my wife's pecan w/ tiny amt. of Bourbon (usually lifted from my small-
> batch stash, when I'm elsewhere), we usually do PX, or Porto Barros 20yr
> Tawny. The Barros has a nice pecan note in it. Though Taylor 20 is my
> favorite
> Tawny, I'll always grab the Barros for this pie. Now, please note, there
> is
> NO chocolate, whatsoever in this recipe.
>
> Hunt
>

This sounds wonderful, except for the tiny bourbon part. Lotsa bourbon!


  #13 (permalink)   Report Post  
Raymond
 
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Try, experiment with all combinations rather than to adhere to the old maxim
of "red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat, sweet wine with
sweet food dry wine with dry...sorry savoury food. The person who tells you
not to drink something sweet with your meal is hiding at a corner of KFC,
Pizza Hut or McDonalds quaffing that ultra sweet Coke or Pepsi with his
meal. I can tell you what I like but NOT what you should like.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> I need some advice. I am planning to bake a chocolate bourbon cake,
> and would like to know what wine you'd recommend I pair it with. My
> knowledge of wines is regrettably very limited, and, since the cake is
> already liquor-spiked, the task of selecting a complementary wine is
> twice as daunting for me. Any recommendations or words of advice?
> Should I be looking into ports or sherries? Thank you so much, in
> advance, for your help.
>



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