Great Autumn food & wine pairings

Butternut squash, hearty soups, slow-roasted turkey, whole grains, Brussel sprouts apple pie, these are all foods synonymous with fall, which is all about comfort, robust flavor, and taste, but just what is the best wine to serve with all these choices? Here are some choices to consider from Wine Cooler Direct to help you decide! 

Pumpkin

Pairing: Viognier or Barrel-Aged Port

Thanks to pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin is as synonymous with fall as evergreens are with Christmas. You probably don’t want to drink wine with your PSL (or maybe you do, who are we to judge?), but luckily that’s far from the only pumpkin-flavored treat to find this season. How about some lovely pumpkin pie, crunchy pumpkin seeds, or delish pumpkin-stuffed ravioli?

For anything pumpkin, you’ll want an aromatic viognier. Go for one on the sweet and rich side, like a Paso Robles viognier, for sweeter pumpkin dishes. For salty snacks or savory pumpkin dishes, pick out a lighter and more acidic viognier. Or, if it’s chilly outside and you’re curling up next to the fire with a super-rich pumpkin dessert, try a barrel-aged Port.

Apples

Pairing: Gewürztraminer or Vouvray

Before pumpkin took over the world as THE fall flavor, there was the apple. You can get apples year-round, but they’re at their best in late summer and early fall, and there are several incredibly yummy varieties you can only get at this time of year.

Put some raw apple slices on a cheese plate and serve it with a fruity gewürztraminer. Or, if candied apples and apple pie are more your style, search out a lovely, sweet Vouvray.

Figs

Pairing: Tawny Porto

Figs are simply gorgeous, and taste wonderful raw, in salads, roasted, or dried. Get your fancy on with a fig and goat cheese grilled pizza with arugula, or a fig tart. Or hey, if you’re feeling lazy, go for Fig Newtons! Be sure to grab a tawny Porto to go with any of these treats–a 20-year-old tawny Porto if you can swing it, which has its own hints of fig to go with your dish.

Butternut Squash

Pairing: Dolcetto or Prosecco

Pumpkin’s less popular cousin, butternut squash nevertheless can take you to your happy place when it’s made into soup, or roasted and added to a yummy, comforting risotto.

Pair it with an Italian red like Dolcetto, or go for white and bubbly and pick out a sweet Prosecco to match the sweetness of the squash and lighten up its heavier dishes.

Brussels Sprouts

Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc

It’s true that Brussels sprouts are the bane of many; but if you eat them when they’re fresh, in the fall, and properly cooked, you can enjoy the delicious nuttiness that makes them taste as close to candy as a green veggie can get.

You can prepare them a bunch of different ways, but my two favorite methods are shredded and sautéed, then topped with cheese and nuts; or roasted in a pan with brown butter and topped with parmesan. Pair brussels sprouts with a sauvignon blanc that has plenty of herbal notes.

Fall is a much anticipated time and a favorite season for many, with endless food choices, the perfect dinner, complete with wine is just your imagination away. Need help selecting the perfect wine? Stop into Universal Fine Wine & Spirits today! At Universal Fine Wine & Spirits, we want to make sure you are going home with the perfect drink to complete your fall meal so ask away. We will be more than happy to help answer any of your questions. Come in and talk to an employee, give us a call at 727-937-8330, or visit our website.

Sources:

https://learn.winecoolerdirect.com/fall-food-and-wine-pairings/