Turn Up the Sweet for Summer Desserts

Dominique and Cindy Duby, Vancouver-based husband-and-wife patissiers, chocolatiers and authors of "Wild Sweets: Exotic Dessert and Wine Pairings" (Whitecap, 2006) recommend taking texture into consideration, too.

For lighter desserts such as fruit soups, turn to a sweet sparkling wine such as Moscato d'Asti, Asti (the fully sparkling wine formerly known as Asti Spumante) or Cremant. The Dubys praised Inniskillin's and Jackson Triggs' sparkling ice wines from Canada as worth the splurge.

For cake-style desserts such as strawberry shortcake or custardy cakes, the Dubys recommend an ice wine such as those produced by Canada's Inniskillin. "A late-harvest wine or Tokaji would work, too," Cindy Duby said. They both enjoy Sumac Ridge Pinot Blanc Icewine, she said.

"For berry pies and other crusted desserts such as cobblers or crumbles, we suggest wines with citrus notes, such as a French Sauternes, or a late-harvest or botrytis-affected chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or chenin blanc," Dominique Duby added.

Given all the choices available, it's helpful to have a couple of go-to wines for pairing with berry desserts. We were happy to learn recently that Mark Kibbe, executive manager of the historic 1789 restaurant in Georgetown, shares two of ours.

With lighter desserts or those made with strawberries, Kibbe turns to Braida Brachetto d'Acqui , a very light, slightly effervescent red wine that he points out has strawberry notes. Unlike Moscato d'Asti, Brachetto d'Acqui even pairs well with dark chocolate desserts. With heavier desserts or those featuring heavier berry sauces, Kibbe recommends Quady Elysium , a black muscat from California that, while heavier, is still refreshing.

And if you're having friends to dinner who have always "been there, done that," just pour them a champagne flute of chilled Poochi- Poochi sparkling sake, which has a citrusy pear creaminess that pairs beautifully with berry sorbets. Its bubbles make it as much fun to drink as it will be to ask them to guess what it is.

Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, award-winning authors of "What to Drink With What You Eat," can be reached through their Web site,http://www.becomingachef.com, or atfood@washpost.com.