Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
After a great dinner, it’s always wonderful to relax with a nightcap. For inspiration, we turned to The Wine Merchant owner Jason Main and cheesemonger Chris Issit. They offered three wine-and-cheese pairings—though in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, dark chocolate would also work nicely with any of these selections.
Amaro Nonino Quintessentia: The entire grape plant—from stem to seed to fruit—is distilled and blended with a unique recipe of herbs. It’s then aged in French oak barrels and sherry barriques. Served neat, this 70-proof (35 percent alcohol) digestif is spicy, sweet, and complex, with notes of caramel, vanilla, fennel, orange peel, and root beer. It’s a light respite after a heavy meal. Consider pairing it with Bleu des Basques, a mild blue cheese.
Ramos Pinto Lágrima: White port is less common in the U.S. than other ports, but it’s worth seeking out, especially for those with a sweet tooth. It’s super-sweet—thanks to a combination of a late harvest and intense cold-skin maceration before fermentation—with floral and honey notes. The resulting full-bodied, complex wine leaves a long finish. Pair with Brillat-Savarin triple-crème Brie or foie gras.
Henriques & Henriques Madeira: The name refers to a region off the southwest coast of Portugal consisting of four islands. After fermentation, grape spirit is added for fortification, and the wine then undergoes the Estufagem process, in which it’s heated to 113 to 122 degrees and cooled to room temperature over three months. It’s then racked into barrels, where it remains for five years. The resulting medium-dry 19 percent Madeira has a light-amber color and notes of raisins, nuts, dried apricots, and fig jam. Pair it with Deer Creek Imperial Buck Cheddar or aged Gouda.
