If you are looking for a fun and festive party to throw this holiday season, you should try a “Sips & Sweets” theme. Your guests will be entertained throughout the evening as they move from room to room sampling different wines and desserts. The best thing is they will think you are a food and wine connoisseur who spent countless hours planning the party when all you had to do is order the wine and desserts and decorate the house.

These desserts are favorites during the holiday season as well as can be enjoyed year round. Who does not love apple pie with cinnamon ice cream?  If you have a chocolate craving, this chocolate chess pie from Star Provisions will satisfy your sweet tooth in one bite.  The caramel popcorn sundae from Canoe is the perfect blend of sweet and salty with a silky ice cream and crunchy, caramel Cracker Jack.  It was featured in the Modern Luxury as one of the “5 Out of This World Desserts” in Atlanta.

These wines are paired by Perrine Prieur, owner of Perrine’s Wine Shop who is a world renowned Sommelier.  We met at her shop and tasted each dessert with several bottles of  wines. She decided on a apple cider, NV Domaine du Verger, Brut Cidre Bouche to balance the cinnamon and sweetness in the apple pie and a Alcyone Tannat dessert wine for the Chocolate Chess Pie. The trickiest one to pair was the caramel popcorn sundae with all the different flavors but she nailed it with the 2012 Sablettes Sauternes and 1998 Chateau Tirecul-la-Graviere “Cuvée Madame” Monbazillac.  Make sure you get a piece of Cracker Jack with every bite.

Perrine presented the wines at the party providing interesting facts about the various wines. Here is one you can tell you guests: “The Alcyone, is the most interresting wine to Perrine. It’s from Uruguay and made of 100% Tannat. It’s a fortified wine like port but also infused with herbs almost like Vermouth.”

We started with a champagne course and the guests continued to sip on champagne through the evening as they would water.  Next time we will serve the 2015 Jean Paul & Benoit Droin-Chablis first and finish with the NV Henriot Blanc de Blancs champagne since dessert wines are very sweet and the champagne is too dry to sip on in between, especially for guests who typically drink Chardonnay or Pinot.

The dessert wines will last a couple days after opened.  Pour the wine into a mason jar to preserve for longer or buy a contraction to seal the bottles tight.  If you have any left over apple cider, pour yourself a glass with a ham and cheese sandwich or crepe.  Serve with a turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving.  The apple cider has a very low alcohol content so do not feel bad if you have a glass earlier in the day.

Ordering and Preparation Notes

Perrine Prieur pairs the wine for all my dinners and events. She knows her customers and recommends wines based on their taste and preferences. She is also one of the kindest people I know. You will love working with her. 404-254-5077

Matthew Basford, executive chef for Canoe is one of the nicest chefs I have ever worked with in Atlanta. We ordered 4 pints of ice cream with caramel sauce and a bag of Cracker Jack for the event which served 20 people.  Anyone can take your order to the pastry chef to confirm the correct amount needed for your party. You may want to order extra. It is absolutely fabulous. Kids will devour it. 770-432-2663

Star Provisions needs several days notice to make the pie.  They will cut the pies to order.  The smaller the slice the better since this is a very rich pie.  For pairing with the wine, it is best to serve at room temperature instead of warm. 404-365-0410

As for the apple pie, we purchased it from Bistro Niko but we found out they normally do not sell whole pies to the public.  Any good apple pie should work nicely.  If you plan to bake one, this Dube’s Brandy Apple Pie recipe is one of the best I have ever made. For the cinnamon ice cream, make your own with this easy recipe with lots of cinnamon or buy a high quality vanilla ice cream from Breyers, Julie’s, Alden’s and let it sit out to soften, then stir in lots of cinnamon to your taste and refreeze the ice cream. Serve with caramel sauce drizzled over the slice.

Whole Foods prepared these hors d’ourves for the party. One platter of cheese and fruit should be sufficient for 20 guests. Not many people ate the bruschetta.

Here is a the menu for the evening.