Dessert Wines for the Seasons

Many people enjoy wine with food. And then some pair wine with seasons. More specifically, certain dessert wines are better with certain seasons. Here is some helpful advice when you want to pair dessert wines with one of the four seasons, courtesy of Leslie Sbrocco, author of "Wine for Women." For spring, try a sexy and fun tawny port. A good tawny from Portugal is amber in color and never overly sweet. It captures the essence of honey, nuts and caramel. This makes it perfect for cheeses, nuts, fruit tarts and vanilla ice cream. The longer a tawny ages in the barrel, the richer and more luscious it becomes. For summer, try a fresh and crisp German Riesling. These dessert wines are the epitome of things light and summery. For fall, try Sauternes from France, a taste of honey, spice and sweet fruit combined with a creamy texture. This is great with pungent blue cheese, foie gras and baked apples. For winter, try a vintage port, a fortified dessert drink made by adding a dollop of brandy to the fermenting wine. This wine ages for decades. It's great with brownies and chocolate desserts.