A nice “Brut” Champagne or sparkling wine is great for adding a celebratory note to Valentine’s Day; but it doesn’t really work well with sweets. After a bite of something sweet, a Brut Champagne tends to taste thin and bitter. Even the “classic” pairing of Champagne and chocolates does not live up to its romantic image. For the best balance, a wine should be just a bit sweeter than the dessert. If you want a sparkler to go with your sweets, try a sparkling Muscat-based wine like Asti Spumante or something similar. If your dessert is not too sweet (a fruit tart or nut bread, for example), a Champagne labeled “dry or sec” can work – one labeled “doux” would be needed for a much sweeter dessert. The approximate sugar levels for Champagnes are: Extra Brut, Brut Sauvage, Ultra Brut, Brut Integral, Brut Zero, or Natural = 0.0-0.8%; Brut = 0.7-1.5%; Extra Dry or Extra Sec = 1.2 to 2.0%; Dry or Sec = 1.7 to 3.5%; Demi-Sec or Cremant = 3.3 to 5.0%; Doux (sweetest) = 5% and up.

Still wines that can be paired with desserts or chocolates (also good matches with blue-cheeses, Roqueforts, Stiltons, or other extra-sharp cheeses) are: Sauternes and Barsacs from Bordeaux. Tokaij Azsu from Hungary. Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese German wines. Eisweins (ice-wines) and sweeter late-harvest or dessert-styled Muscats, Rieslings, Gewurztraminers, etc from lots of places. 

Pairing with chocolate can be particularly difficult. Generally, the darker the chocolate the better. The inclusion of fruits or berries and/or nuts in the chocolate can also improve the likelihood of finding a natural match. Although a Banyuls from southern France is an excellent pairing with chocolate, they can be difficult to find. Ports and sweeter Madeiras are more easily found and can be suitable matches for chocolates.

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