Sweet Fundamentals

The role of dessert in fine cuisine, and how wine and spirits complete the picture
By
From the Sep 30, 2014, issue

A taste for sweets seems etched deep in our human DNA, helping us identify healthful and nutritious foods and avoid spoiled or poisonous ones. But dessert, considered as a sweet course at the end of a formal meal, is a more recent cultural phenomenon. In this special Wine Spectator issue, we focus on that time of relaxation, conversation and sweet meditation we call "after dinner."

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