Wine & Food

A sweet Cotnari calls for dishes that bring their own fat or richness to the table. Otherwise, it can quickly feel overwhelming. Foie gras is the classic answer: the acidity from Fetească Albă and Frâncușă cuts through the richness of the liver, while the sweetness catches the roasted notes of the preparation. Together, it's one of the rare pairings where both sides win.

Blue cheese works for a similar reason. The salty sharpness of such a cheese meets honey and apricot in the glass. Rather than clashing, the contrast becomes a balance that many red wines rarely manage to achieve here, simply because they lack the necessary sweetness.

With desserts, Cotnari sits especially close to fruit. Apple, apricot, peach, quince: that's its own flavor world. A quince tart or an apple cake with cinnamon draws out exactly the notes already present in the wine, rather than fighting against them.

Pastries with walnut, almond, or a creamy filling also pair well. The wine itself already leans in that direction, no lengthy explanation needed. Classic caramel or nut tarts work for the same reason.

One pastry from the region itself seems practically made for this wine. Poale-n brâu, dough pockets filled with sweet fresh cheese and raisins, are baked in Moldavia for holidays. Pair it with a glass of Grasă de Cotnari, chilled to about nine degrees Celsius, and the circle between vineyard and kitchen closes.