NEW YORK • They are gifting glasses to VIPs and interested customers, in an effort to bring them into the fold.
Looking beyond port, Madeira and Sauternes, sommeliers in the United States are presenting a wider spectrum of dessert wines, from the golden to the lightly fizzy to the ruby red.
The best of these wines have vibrant acidity to counterbalance the sugar, so they are not overwhelmingly sweet.
The hope is that guests will trade in a boozy cocktail or a glass of whiskey for a softer, more nuanced landing after a meal.
Ms Roni Ginach of Michael's Santa Monica is finding converts with a by-the-glass selection of dessert wines that includes a Pineau de Charentes, from Breuil de Segonzac in Cognac, and a Ratafia de Champagne, from producer Dumangin.
Fine dessert wines can be incredibly difficult to make and certain types can be produced only in ideal years, which means they come at a higher cost than most dry wines.
A buoyant enthusiasm is overcoming what might otherwise be a hard sell for restaurateurs and diners, so much so that some sommeliers are offering these wines at a lower margin by the glass, to increase the chances of them finding a following.
"I give myself a little budget to spend on things for people who are looking for something kind of extravagant," Ms Ginach said.
She was surprised to find that star Sicilian winemaker Arianna Occhipinti was making a tiny run of dessert wine, called Passo Nero, in the passito-style, using red frappato grapes that dry out on the vine.
On the Michael's menu, Ms Ginach charges US$120 (S$165) a bottle for it, but she added that she could be convinced to pour it by the glass.
For Mr Basile al Mileik, wine director at Brooklyn's Reynard, "dessert wines are the long-game run".
"Maybe the next time the guest will order it because he loved it. Even if they order them in another restaurant, it's worth it."
With interesting back stories, smaller three-ounce pours and approachable alcohol levels, dessert wines can be a great substitute for dessert, or paired with dessert or a cheese course.
At Reynard, Mr al Mileik has eight dessert wines on his menu, in addition to three ports, that range from US$13 to US$25 a glass.
At NoMad in Los Angeles, wine director Ryan Bailey, who has a selection in mind for each dessert on the menu, said he ran through seven or eight cases of dessert wine a month, whereas he might sell 30 cases of Sauvignon Blanc.
He is particularly into older vintage bottles, which he scouts for at auctions. Currently, he has a 1994 Coteaux du Layon from the Loire Valley, a 1989 Auslese Riesling from Germany's Nahe and a 1969 Madeira on his list.
It is true that France has a preponderance of dessert wine options, but they get far more international than that. Foreign Cinema in San Francisco has nine dessert wines, including pours from Hungary's Tokaj, Spain's Malaga and Austria's Burgenland.
Mr Collin Moody, of Chicago wine bar Income Tax, said two subsets of diners at his restaurant were already gravitating towards these wines.
There is the older generation, accustomed to drinking port or Madeira and amenable to trying something more obscure.
But it is the next generation that is really moving the ball forward - and Mr Moody is more than happy to teach them the ritual of the after-dinner drink.
"Our younger guests, early-30s professionals, are often the ones looking to discover something new" and are more adventurous in learning about completely new products, he said.
"It's easier to have these folks try a mistelle (made by fortifying grape juice with brandy) that can energise you after a meal, rather than having another cocktail that will put you down for the count."
WASHINGTON POST
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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on August 26, 2018, with the headline Dangling dessert wines to diners. Subscribe