Probably not appropriate for this time of year, but an upside down pear ginger cake.

I agree that Sherri's cake sounds a bit heavy this time of year. How about brown butter poached pears instead? It goes well with richness and fruit, but not too sweet fruit.

For cheese, people say blue, but I say a mellow, creamy Roquefort if the wine is the star. A great counterpoint to make the next sip that much yummier.

You might also try it with sweeter entrees. It might be heaven with barbecue ribs or chicken. :)

I can't imagine even thinking of Sautern as an entree wine....
As far as what to serve with....my preference is nothing , if it's as lovely as you say...
if it's an "ordinary Sauterne" a short aged cheese like a Brie or Camembert would be lovely. There's a new Maytag dairy cheese that is a soft bloomy half goat half cow cheese that would be wonderful.
But for a really great old Sautern....you can't beat just swirling it in a glass and admiring the legs!
Sautern with BBQ ribs?? Really?

No, it's not an entree wine, not by any means. Plain vanilla ice cream? A plain pound cake with strawberries?

not a dessert but my favorite thing with Sauterne is Oysters. not everyone's cup of tea.

This is from a long, long time ago. Haven't made it in years, but it's really good...

Baked Broilers Sauterne

2 1/2 lb. broiling chicken, split

marinate 3-4 hours in 3/4 cups sauterne

Approx. 1 hour before serving, preheat oven to 450F. Pour wine from chicken and add to the wine 2 T. minced parsley, 2 T. minced chives and 1/4 c. melted butter.

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Place skin side down in a shallow baking pan - pour wine mixture over it. Cook uncovered 25 minutes. Baste frequently. Turn skin side up. Continue cooking approx 20 more minutes until brown and internal temp. reaches 165F

What kind of Sauternes are we talking here? If you mean something like Chateau d'Yquem (liquid gold, indeed), then nothing, fruit and/or cheese, or one of those dry French cakes or old-fashioned fruit cake.

I sure as heck wouldn't waste that on cooking, though.

Well, I was in grad school so probably was the Mad Dog equivalent?? Just wanted to dust off that recipe title and let it see the light of air.

Linda, just because you're determined to always be disagreeable to me doesn't mean I'm wrong. One can be conventional or one can be free to explore new combinations and surprising pairings. Acidy wines make sweet entrees taste bad. Sauternes can stand up to richness and likes pairing with sweetness (though I wouldn't pair a $700 bottle with ribs--under $100 for sure). OTOH, I think cake and ice cream are too sweet to relish the wine, but I certainly respect Sushipup's opinion. Different tastes for different people. No need to get into such a tizz over it.

Here's an interesting article for those who speak French.

http://www.idealwine.net/les-accords-mets-et-vins-avec-un-sauternes/

Personally, a good sweet wine being so expensive, I would drink it with foie gras. I personally don't like lobster at all with sweet wine, but there are those that do. I prefer a good port with blue cheese.... it's all a question of what you like. Many love champagne with dessert, I don't. I would drink a small glass of sauterne, though!

This is indeed d'Yquem and it's been in the cellar for 30+ years. I'm thinking I'll go with a plain pound cake.

Sorry for not being more specific in my original post. But any other kind of sauterne simply is not in my realm of knowledge.

I think it would be wasted on a plain pound cake, the chateaux recommends orangettes! Confit of orange peel! Also, almond based desserts, pears... a pear and almond tart comes to mind. Almond pastry, gently poached tarts. They say nothing too sweet. No chocolate or ice cream. Bearing in mind the price, I'd listen to them lol.

Interesting to see some prices

http://www.vin-vigne.com/vin-champagne/cuvee-chateau-d-yquem.html

Interesting as well that they suggest many savoury dishes like lobster, halibut, chicken......

Lucky sushipup! I would agree that pound cake is probably too sweet to be ideal.

I would savor that wine with small bites of a Stilton or a lovely Roquefort, and swirl that glass and admire the legs....sip a little more and perhaps have another bite of cheese. For a dessert wine like that....the wine is the dessert.

And as for "acidey wines" with sweet things, many people, including me love a cab with a rich chocolate dessert....yep pour me another glass of that Burgundy with that flourless chocolate cake!

lindac92 - we often pair cab or zinfandel with a rich chocolate dessert and the combination is perfect! Often those wines have a hint of chocolate anyway and a dry red brings out that chocolate.

As an afterthought, I think you should just send it to me in case it's gone off. Then I can take it back and complain. You really shouldn't risk tasting it if it's been in your cellar for 30 years to roflol.

Send me one, too! I saved a 1970 Chat. Rieussec Sauternes for thirty years to drink on my 50th birthday and it was.....DIVINE.

I'm another one who prefers it by itself. A really fine vintage deserves to be savored on its own.

Of course, what I said is that acidy wines don't pair well with sweet entrees (I was thinking mostly of sweet meat dishes, and of course there are exceptions), but I appreciate the civil tone.

Sushipup, with a 30-year-old d'Yquem, I wouldn't be thinking about pairings so much as palate cleansers.

Very much in line with one of our glorious Canadian Ice wines.

Some Blue Cheese, an extra old cheddar, water crackers..,,,,,.not much more

Be still my heart....ice wines!!

lindac92 -- adore ice wines!

lindac92 -- I should edit that to add true ice wines -- not the stuff that the California wineries are producing by freezing the grapes commercially and making wine from them.

Yeah...I know...eiswein...
And trockenbeerenausleisa...or however it's spelled...

I have a little skinny blue bottle that has sat for years with a pourer, next to my cooktop with olive oil in it. Once held a wonderful eiswein...or maybe ice wine....don't remember if it was French or German.....and the label is long gone!

So Sunday night we finally had my birthday dinner but I had the leftovers of a lousy cold that had spurred an asthma attack. I delegated most of the dinner items to the guests. Jim did his tri-tip marinated and cooked rare/med. rare. I made a Caesar, and others brought had potato salad and a broccoli slaw and Alice Waters' ratatouille and garlic bread. Lots of good CA wines with a lovely Italian something, too.

I got a pretty chantilly cream cake with berries at Fresh Market, and had lots of fresh strawberries to go with it. All because my birthday present was a 71 Rieussec Sauterne. And it was enjoyed and appreciated by great company! Jim tells me that we still have 10 bottles of assorted other sauternes in the cellar, about the same vintage.

Sorry about your cold....but I am cheering the 10 bottles left....
Don't suppose you live close to me....I could bring a lovely butter pound cake...or perhaps some pears....
Tchin Tchin!!

Coming to this thread late, but I would have suggested madeleines as accompaniment, and that's it. The real ones if you can find them or make them, not the gummy American imitations. And to Islay Corbel's point, a madeleine will have the barest hint of almond, faint and ephemeral. With a Sauternes so spectacular, I can think of nothing better.