Q: Are there appropriate wines to serve during dessert?
Mary-Margaret R.
Lafayette, Louisiana

A: There are. However, the first (and most important) rule to remember when serving wine with dessert is this: Make sure the wine is sweeter than the dessert. Sugar tends to deaden the palate, so if a dessert is super-sweet, you'll never taste the wine. Dessert wines are served cold. It's also important to remember that dessert wines are fairly high in alcohol, so keep an eye on how much you pour. You want to fill each glass with about 2 ounces. Here are a few tips:

• Port--both Ruby and Tawny Ports are good with the right kinds of desserts. However, they're "fortified" wines, which means they're higher in alcohol. For Tawny Ports think about a rich pecan pie, rather than a delicate peach cream pie. Ruby Ports cozy up especially well to berry-based desserts such as raspberry-and-chocolate cheesecake, for example.
• Sparkling wine--Avoid sparklers that are not sweet enough for most desserts, such as those labeled "extra brut," "brut," and "dry." Look for Champagne and sparkling wine in the "sec" and "demi-sec" range of sweetness. It's also worth considering the Italian sparklers Asti (or Asti Spumante) and Moscato d'Asti. Both pair well with a wide variety of desserts, particularly those which are fruit-based.