Pairing Soup and Wine
When it's cold, rainy, or altogether wintry outside, there’s nothing quite like a comforting bowl of soup. Whether it's one that brings back good memories or a new recipe you’d like to try, soups and stews offer heartiness in a diverse range of flavors and textures. If you’re wondering what wines might pair with these, don’t worry—it's easier than you think. Pairing wine and soup is just like pairing wine with other foods. A few helpful considerations, and of course flexibility, are key.
Consider the Texture
First, think of the mouthfeel of your soup, and try to find a wine that compliments it. If a broth is thick and creamy, consider an unctuous chardonnay like our Riserva Chardonnay. Heavier, fattier soups accommodate higher-acid wines. For meaty soups, especially those that have delicious flavor complexity from long hours of simmering, go with a similarly complex red blend like our Landmark Founder’s Blend.
Build Flavor Bridges
Just as with any other kind of wine pairing, common flavors are a great foundation. Soups with warm spices like nutmeg or cardamom do well with oak-influenced reds, such as our Ferrario or our Night Owl Barbera. We also love to play with sweeter ingredients like butternut squash to pair with the freshness of our Fumé Blanc. Herb flavors go well with deeper, mature reds. Try something from our library collection! Deep tannic reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah stand up to cheesy soups. Soups with saltier meats like a split pea with ham make a delightful pairing for an approachable Bordeaux-style blend like our Cuvée Dray.
Enjoy Flexibility
The most important part of any pairing is to find the flavors and textures you like. There are no hard and fast rules to enjoying food and wine. We invite you to join in the age-old tradition of enjoying these things together and seeking out your favorite pairings. The medley of flavors in a bowl of soup offers more opportunities for flavor harmony than conflict, so enjoy flexibility as you get cozy!
We hope you are staying warm and enjoying winter to the fullest. Salute!