How to Buy Banyuls Dessert Wine

Banyuls is a fortified, Grenache-based French vintage that takes its name from Banyuls Sur Mer in the south of France. Its sweetness results from the "mutage" method, in which grape spirit is added to interrupt the fermentation process. If you want to pair a rich, fresh and sweet wine with chocolate or any other dessert, buy Banyuls dessert wine.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Locate a local wine store or look on line for wine sellers who carry Banyuls dessert wine.

2. Pick your bouquet. Banyuls dessert wine is typically a fresh, sweet red wine with hints of vanilla, coffee and spice. Choose your flavor: sweet, medium dry, fruity or the tawny and vivid "rancio."

3. Find the best quality for your budget. To be labeled Banyuls, the wine must contain at least 50% Grenache, have a 15% alcohol content and be aged in wood for at least 10 months. Banyuls "grand cru" must contain at least 75 percent Grenache and be aged in wood for at least 2 1/2 years.

4. Look for a Banyuls dessert wine that fits your price range as well as your palate. The complex process involved, as well as the time spent aging the wine, can drive up the cost of some bottles.

5. Chill Banyuls dessert wine to around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Once uncorked, let the wine "breathe" for an hour before you serve it.

6. Enjoy Banyuls dessert wine with dessert or as dessert.

Tips & Warnings

• Banyuls is often compared to port for its tawny color and complex flavor, although Banyuls is less strong than port.
• When stored properly, bottles of Banyuls dessert wine can age for years.

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