The Tastiest Winter Comfort Food Wines
Oh, those beautiful winter scenes. With glowing ears, warm cheeks and our skates freshly sharpened, everyone starts craving delicious, indulgent winter comfort food. Accompanied, naturally, by a carefully chosen warming wine. And is that always red? Absolutely not.
French Onion Soup
An unusual soup that has more in common with melted cheese and onion dip than with a real soup. The French traditionally drink white wine with it. One that also works with cheese fondue, such as Chasselas or a Savagnin from the Jura. Prefer red? Choose a fruity, light Pinot Noir from the New World, or a Gamay.
Split Pea Soup with Pork, Bacon & Sausage
Did you know that freshly made split pea soup is suddenly called snert after spending a night resting? Either way, bock beer tastes delicious with it. Prefer wine? Then go for a full-bodied white with plenty of fruit. In any case, choose one with enough freshness and power to provide a snert-worthy counterbalance. Think Grüner Veltliner, Weissburgunder or a full Sauvignon Blanc, such as a white Bordeaux. For red, choose a Sangiovese or a light Syrah.
Parsnip Soup
Parsnip has a sweetish, quite pronounced flavour. A fruity, full-bodied white works well with it. For example, a Viognier or a white Bordeaux (a Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon blend). Red wine works too, because the slight bitterness of the skin pairs beautifully with tannins. A deliciously juicy Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, for example.
Brussels Sprouts
A distinctive vegetable with a strong cabbage flavour; you either adore them or hate them. And that actually applies to the wine accompanying them too. Wine has a very hard time with this powerful flavour, but it can be done. With Brussels sprout mash with meat and gravy, open a robust red Rioja, Carmenère, Languedoc or Rhône. For stir-fried sprouts, a white works better: Grüner Veltliner, fresh Chardonnay (Chablis), or Chenin Blanc.
Endive Mash with Bacon Bits & Gravy
A rather raw, green and earthy dish. A somewhat ‘green’ red wine makes a good match. The often elegant Cabernet Franc has a lot in common with such a meal. For example, one from the northern French Loire Valley. Choose a smoother one from Saumur-Champigny, or a slightly fuller version from Chinon or Bourgueil. These days, there are some lovely Chilean options too.
Sauerkraut Mash with Duck
Sauerkraut is in a league of its own in the world of mashed-potato dishes. The acidity is the deciding factor here. Red is a challenge, unless you choose a really light one and serve it chilled, such as a German Spätburgunder or Frühburgunder. But I prefer white; one with characteristic acidity and a lush sweetness to go with the duck fat. For example, a lovely, characterful Silvaner, a Riesling Feinherb, or a dry Alsatian Pinot Gris.
Hutspot
Hutspot with smoked sausage or a slice of bacon. The carrot is sweet and earthy, while the meat adds a delicious salty fattiness. Lush reds from Spain, the southern Rhône or southern Italy—made from Monastrell, Garnacha (Grenache) or Nero d’Avola—are delicious accompaniments. But given the sweetish carrot notes, a full-bodied rosé might actually work best.
Kale with Sausage
The ultimate kale wine for me is Syrah, or Shiraz when it comes from Australia. A dish with fatty sausage and the earthiness of kale calls for a full-bodied, robust accompaniment. The powerful, complex wines from Spain’s Ribera del Duero and France’s Costières de Nîmes take an honourable second and third place on the list, by the way.
Pumpkin Risotto
Pumpkin risotto is earthy yet fruity, savoury and sweet at the same time. An Italian Greco di Tufo is an excellent match. A characterful white wine with fruity notes is delicious with it. But there are many more options. Champagne, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and even a light Chardonnay (Chablis) are delicious. If you still prefer red, choose a juicy Sangiovese-style wine.
Hungarian Goulash
With spicy goulash, drink a full-bodied, preferably spicy red wine. It can contain a fair amount of tannins, while a touch of sweetness helps temper the heat of such a dish. Blended wines (made from several grape varieties) featuring Syrah and Grenache work well for this reason. Think Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Spanish Priorat, or an exciting Lebanese wine. Piedmontese red (Nebbiolo) can work too. But the most fun, of course, is Hungarian Egri Bikavér (Bull’s Blood), made partly with the Hungarian grape Kékfrankos.
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