Banoffee pie

Banoffee pie

Assuming a biscuit base layered with toffee, sliced banana and whipped cream.

Banoffee pie is very sweet and rich, with caramel, ripe banana and cream on a buttery base. The wine must be at least as sweet as the toffee, with high acidity to cut the cream and flavours of caramel, honey or tropical fruit to meet the banana. A dry wine tastes thin and sour beside it.

Pairs Perfectly. Sauternes or Barsac from Bordeaux, France. Honey, apricot, pineapple and a caramel edge from barrel ageing, with the acidity to cut through toffee and cream. Monbazillac from Bergerac delivers the same logic at a fraction of the price and is an everyday bottle.

Pairs Well. Botrytis Semillon, Riverina, Australia. Marmalade, toffee and ripe tropical fruit, rich and sweet enough for caramel and banana.

Pairs Well. Noble Late Harvest Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch, South Africa. Honey, quince and dried apricot with fresh acidity, very good with cream and toffee.

Worth Seeking Out

Tokaji Aszú from Tokaj, Hungary. Apricot, orange peel and honey on piercing acidity, which keeps a heavy pudding fresh.

Avoid

Dry wines, dry sparkling wines and light sweet wines. Dry wines turn sour and light sweet wines vanish under the toffee.

Failing That

A Tawny Port, Douro, Portugal.

If All Else Fails

Cream Sherry, Jerez.

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