For when dinner is the whole plan: heavy food, and a drink for each stage of the evening.
One before the food. The bitterness does what an aperitif is supposed to do, it makes you hungry. One is enough.
In My Bar Shelf ↗Cook something slow and dark: braised short ribs, a tagine, cassoulet. The kind of food that decides what everything after it should taste like.
Dark fruit, firm tannin, enough acidity to handle the fat. A northern Rhone Syrah works, so does a proper Rioja Reserva.
After the plates go out, make espresso. Short, dark, no sugar. It clears the richness and makes room for what comes next.
In My Coffee Shelf ↗Something sherry-aged, with caramel and dried fruit in it. The two flavors get along.
If the evening has room for one, make it a maduro that has rested properly. Cocoa and leather. Take your time with it.