{"id":13835,"date":"2016-11-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-11-07T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.invinic.com\/why-ximenez-sherry-is-the-only-dessert-wine-youll-ever-need"},"modified":"2017-10-05T14:44:33","modified_gmt":"2017-10-05T12:44:33","slug":"why-ximenez-sherry-is-the-only-dessert-wine-youll-ever-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.invinic.com\/en\/why-ximenez-sherry-is-the-only-dessert-wine-youll-ever-need","title":{"rendered":"Why Ximenez sherry is the only dessert wine you’ll ever need"},"content":{"rendered":"
If you keep one wine in your store cupboard, or better yet your wine cellar, make it this one. Sherry fell out of favour in recent years, mainly because of sickly sweet varieties which saturated the market in the 60s and 70s.<\/span><\/p>\n Thankfully, we\u2019re now waking up to the delights of sherry<\/strong> as the utterly unique, delicious and versatile drink it is. And Pedro Ximenez<\/strong> is the most useful sherry around.<\/span><\/p>\n An intensely sweet and dark dessert wine, Ximenez<\/strong><\/a> is made by drying grapes under the hot Spanish sunshine to concentrate the sweetness. The result is a thick, unctuous wine which can cope with just about any dessert.<\/span><\/p>\n In fact, it pretty much smells like a dessert in a glass. You\u2019ll get sweet notes of dried fruits like raisins and figs accompanied with the likes of honey, coffee, dark chocolate and liquorice.<\/span><\/p>\n In the mouth, Ximenez<\/strong> is like velvet; sweet and syrupy but with enough acidity to give complexity.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chocolate and wine are notoriously difficult to pair together. While many people try with a red wine like a Pinot Noir<\/a> or a Cabernet Sauvignon, these with chocolate are a match made in foodie hell. Chocolate gives you a richness on the palate, some fattiness and sweetness, but a dry red wine takes all the fat and sweetness away leaving a sour flavour. Plus, the chocolate will mean you can\u2019t taste the fruity flavours in the wine.<\/span><\/p>\n Instead, the key is to pair sweetness with sweetness when it comes to chocolate. Vintage Port and Madeira from Portugal is one option, but a better one is a Ximenez which brings out the natural sweetness of the chocolate, while also cleansing your palate so you\u2019re ready to enjoy your next cocoa-infused bite.<\/span><\/p>\n Go for a young version of Ximenez for a rich chocolate dessert like a fondant or a brownie. Younger PXs also partner well with sweet pancakes or, if you\u2019re more of a cheese board fiend than a dessert fan, with cheeses infused with herbs, spices or chilli.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat to pair with Ximenez<\/b><\/h2>\n