LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2021

It’s not only dry wines that are great for food preparation; sweet varieties are an easy way to add some sophistication to your desserts. Icewines and late-harvest wines made from white grapes are great for dishes that incorporate eggs, such as custards and cheesecakes, while those from red grapes are perfect for berry desserts. Fortified wines such as port and banyuls are suited to coffee and chocolate delicacies. Create the easiest dessert of all by simply dousing fresh peach or apricot slices with some sweet bubbly, like a Moscato d’Asti. PREPARING DESSERTS WITH WINE

Choosing wines for cooking The most important consideration when choosing a wine for cooking is that it should be good enough that you’d also like to drink it. Most recipes don’t call for an entire bottle of wine, so the remain- der should be some- thing you look forward to enjoying! kitchen hack Wine can be reduced in a small saucepan until it’s a thick and concentrated syrup; keep it refrigerated for a couple of months, and use it to glaze grilled meat or add a quick hit of flavour to dressings or sauces.

Small-format wines (cans or 375-mL bottles) are a great

alternative to using full bottles when cooking.

Outset Sparkling Wine VQA LCBO 14791, 250 mL, $4.80 The smaller format makes this wine perfect for preparing desserts, as you don’t need to open an entire bottle. Use it to macerate seasonal fruits, and then incorporate it into a sabayon to pour overtop.

Pillitteri Late Harvest Vidal VQA VINTAGES 488668, 375 mL, $15.80 Add an ounce of this lush, tropical Niagara specialty to the pineapple in pineapple upside-down cake before cooking, and enjoy as a pair- ing alongside.

Kittling Ridge Kingsgate Reserve Apera LCBO 90860, $9.55

This fortified wine offers up deli- cious dried fruit and nut aromas that can be incorporated into a classic bread pudding recipe by adding a splash to the egg mixture that soaks the bread—or simply pour it over vanilla ice cream.

Choosing wines for pairing A good rule of thumb when pairing wine with your dish is to pick a variety of the same colour (white or red) that has similar characteristics, such as dominant notes of citrus, stone fruit, red berries or herbs. Another essential factor is the wine’s weight, or body (look for the style descriptor on lcbo.com product pages or the shelf tag in stores). Lighter dishes should pair with light-bodied wines, and heavier dishes work best with medium- or full-bodied wines, regardless of colour.

Shop the issue at lcbo.com/ fdautumn21

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FOOD & DRINK AUTUMN 2021