There’s nothing quite like an excellent dessert wine to add an extra special touch to this course of a meal. Selecting just the right type of wine, however, is essential to make the move a pleasure rather than a flop.

Dessert wines are traditionally quite sweet and they often have rather fruity flavors. This lends them for pairings with certain desserts and not others. In some cases, champagne might prove to be a better choice.

Do keep in mind that if wine is served with other courses in a meal that water should also be served with each course. For guests to be able to fully enjoy the tastes of new wines served, water is necessary to rinse the mouth.

To help dessert wines go over well at the end of a meal, consider these tips:

• Serve the wine alone – A dessert wine doesn’t necessarily have to go with an actual dessert. A sweeter, fruity wine can stand alone as a meal topper that sparkles.
• Serve a light, fruity dessert – Many dessert wines go very well with iced desserts, such as sorbet. It’s even possible to create iced wine with a dessert wine to serve in lieu of wine in a glass or a full dessert.
• Sherry and chocolate go hand-in-hand – If a dessert involves dark chocolate in the mix, sherry is an exceptional choice.
• Ice wines go with almost anything – These sweet, flavorful wines make a great pairing with most desserts, sweet cakes and breads.
• Use champagne to overcome the cheesecake challenge – There are not many wines that go well with this popular, but rich dessert. Champagne, however, can provide the perfect finishing touch.

Finishing off a meal with a dessert wine is a great way to make the experience even more enjoyable. Do take the time to select the bottle carefully to properly compliment the flavors of the meal.

Wine lovers who want to experience the flavors of one of the boldest of the dessert wines need only look for a good bottle of Port. This famed wine originates from Portugal and is famed for its sweet, but often rich flavor.

True port wine is a fortified product made from grapes grown in Portugal’s Douro Valley. The country so closely guards its favorite wine that national law only allows wine from this region to be called Port. Wines of this variety made elsewhere tend to have variations on the name, but this is not always the case. While they may not come from the Douro Valley, many of these brands offer rich and inviting flavors nonetheless.

To create this unique flavored wine, the Portuguese blend grapes of differing varieties. Before the fermentation process reaches its end, brandy is added to the mix. This gives port a very unique flavor when compared to other dessert wines. Some port wines might also boast infusions of other flavors, such as plums, toffee or blackberries.

Port wine tends to undergo a rather lengthy maturation process. The wine is stored in casks for up to three years before bottling. After this, it can mature right in the bottle for as long as 25 years.  There are a wide variety of Port flavors on the market. The colors can range from red to white with tawny also an option. Actual flavors and aromas can vary based on the items a Port is blended with.

Port wine offers such unique flavors that it tends to stand alone without the need for a dessert accompaniment. If foods are desired along with this drink, roasted nuts, dark chocolate or Stilton cheese are often recommended.

When a distinct flavor in wine is desired for an after-dinner drink, Port doesn’t fail to deliver. This unusual beverage offers a rich, but sweet flavor that can stand alone or add depth to chocolate, cheese and other light dessert items.