Wintertime Wines for Cold Nights & Seasonal Feasts
Of all the ways to elevate our spirits during winter, discovering a savoury food and wine pair can be one of the most satisfying. There’s an abundance of potential pairings and amidst that sheer variety, you want to ensure that you find the best combination. Fortunately, we have a few suggestions that will help. Winter wine and food pairing Consider the entire spectrum of foods you can pair wine with during winter. That includes appetizers, main dishes and desserts. With that said, we’ve included some notes on wine pairing for winter favourites such as turkey, pot roast and pie. Wine for wintertime turkey Turkey is a great wine-pairing option because it’s versatile, not to mention scrumptious! Its combination of white and dark meat leaves a balanced impression on the palate. It’s succulent and juicy, rich with a distinct flavour, yet it’s not overpowering. You can pair turkey meat with crisp, acidic white wines to highlight milder flavours or bold, tannin-rich reds to soften its heavier flavours. Our recommendations: Majolini Franciacorta Brut, Bubbles or Artesa Estate, Chardonnay if you want to pair white wine, or Kupelwieser Alto Adige, Pinot Noir if you prefer red wine. Wine for wintertime pot roast A hearty beef shank or tenderloin pot roast simmering in carrots and potatoes is perfect for wintertime hibernation. This mouthwatering dish goes best with tannin-rich red wines because beef is a fattier meat with higher umami. Of course, the combination of the fat and high tannins gives you that gustatory exchange, where the wine tastes less bitter and the meat more flavourful. They’re basically made for each other. Our recommendations: Red wines, such as Graceland Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Septima, Malbec, and Fenocchio, Barolo. Wine for wintertime pie A slice of pie during the winter is comfort-food perfection, a sweet escape from those 4:45 p.m. sunsets and -20 degree nights. Of course, there are dozens of pie types, each with unique pairing options. Pie and dessert wine are natural fits, although you can experiment with others. For example, apple pie may go well with Spumante. On the other hand, a slice of pumpkin pie is great with Zinfandel, while a pecan pie and its nutty flavours meld nicely with Lambrusco. Our recommendations: Nua Brut, Spumante for apple pie, Seghesio Angela’s Table, Zinfandel for pumpkin pie, and Villa di Corlo Corleto, Lambrusco. Wine for wintertime chocolate This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning chocolate. Of course, chocolate is diverse, and some types pair better with certain wines compared to others. If anything, chocolate and wine pairing is an equation of sorts. White chocolate goes best with white wines, while dark chocolate pairs well with red wines. Milk chocolate is in the middle, pairing best with either red or white wine, provided the wine is light or medium-bodied. Our recommendations: Luigi Righetti Rosé for white chocolate, Chateau Les Vieux Ormes Lalande de Pomerol, Merlot and Vinedos Terranoble, Cabernet Sauvignon for dark chocolate. For milk chocolate, pair Belle Glos Balade, Pinot Noir. Wine and winter: …