Roscato Gift Pack

Roscato Gift Pack is a fruit dessert wine from Massachusetts, produced under the Esplanda label. The listing doesn't name the fruit, the alcohol level or the contents of the pack, so check the bottle label for those details. Fruit dessert wines made in New England are typically fermented from fruit rather than grapes, and they usually run from off-dry to clearly sweet. Expect ripe fruit aromas that match the fruit used, a soft, round body and little to no tannin. Acidity is usually moderate and keeps the sweetness from turning cloying. Oak is rarely a factor in this style, so the finish tends to be clean and fruity, with sweetness fading over a few seconds. Serve it chilled, around 6 to 10°C (43 to 50°F). Two hours in the refrigerator, or about 30 minutes in an ice bucket, gets it there. Cold temperatures keep the sweetness in check and the fruit aromas bright. A wine like this doesn't need decanting. Open it, pour it and let it warm a little in the glass. A small white wine glass or a dessert wine glass works best. The narrow bowl concentrates the aromas, and the small pour suits a sweet wine. For food, the sweetness works well with sharp, salty or creamy partners. Try blue cheese, aged cheddar, brie, or a plain cheesecake or vanilla ice cream. It also pairs with fruit tarts, shortbread and almond biscuits, as long as the dessert isn't sweeter than the wine. Otherwise the wine tastes thin and sour by comparison. Fruit dessert wines are generally made to drink young, and the fruit character is at its freshest in the first year or two after release. Treat this as a bottle to open soon, not one to cellar. Once opened, reseal it and keep it in the refrigerator, and plan to finish it within a few days.