Domenico Winery + Osteria

a beautiful pie for the holidays

Wine and Pie Pairings that Will Change Your Life

What are the holidays without pie? That’s a completely rhetorical question. From pumpkin to pecan to apple, there are plenty of pies to love. But, did you know that pie tastes even better when paired with the right wine? Yup – wine and pie pairings are real, and they will absolutely change your life.

 

Don’t miss these wine and pie pairings this holiday season!

a perfect slice of pumpkin pie

Pumpkin Pie

Ah, pumpkin pie. The hallmark of the holiday dessert table. To make your pumpkin pie taste shiny and bright, pair it with an Oloroso Sherry. Sweet and nutty, this fortified Spanish dessert wine will enhance the addictive autumn flavor of your pumpkin pie.

Another great pairing for pumpkin pie is Tawny Port. This Portuguese fortified wine is more oxidated, with strong dried fruit and nut flavors that highlight the baking spice we love in pumpkin pie.

No matter which wine you choose, either will make all PSL lovers swoon!

Apple Pie

Nothing beats a perfect apple pie, except a perfect apple pie paired with dry Marsala. Yes, you can drink marsala and not just cook with it (although a mean veal marsala is truly hard to turn down…)

Marsala is a classic dessert wine from Sicily, named after the town Marsala itself. It boasts flavors of vanilla, citrus, and brown sugar, making it a delightful pairing for apple pie. It’s important that you choose a dry marsala, as it offers a more complementary texture and flavor to apple pie, rather than sweet marsala, which may be a little too thick and rich.

a delicious slice of pecan pie

Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is the most versatile when it comes to wine and pie pairings. There’s no doubt that it is definitely a dessert. But, pecan pie also has savory elements to it, from all the pecans and butter.

You can go two ways with pecan pie. You can opt for a rich and bold Portuguese dessert wine, like a sweet Madeira or port. Domenico Winery’s Black Silk Ruby Red Dessert Wine makes an immaculate pairing too. Made in a Portuguese style with all California-grown Portuguese varietals, Black Silk offers the luscious texture and spice notes that enrich the flavors of a classic pecan pie.

On the other hand, you can also pair pecan pie with red wine. Not just any red wines – fuller-bodied red wines that are made with more mature grapes. A late harvest Zinfandel pairs wonderfully with pecan pie, as it has the dark fruit and spice that pecans just adore. Or, if you want to be a little fancy, you can try an Amarone della Valpolicella with your pecan pie. This Italian wine is made with dried grapes that lend this wine these delicious and concentrated fruit flavors, which taste wonderful with the nuttiness and butteriness of pecan pie.

Sweet Potato Pie

The less popular, but just as delicious cousin to pecan pie, sweet potato pie needs to get a little more spotlight on the holiday dessert table. One way to do it is by pairing sweet potato pie with a Spätlese Riesling (late harvest Riesling.) Made with very mature grapes, some graced with noble rot (trust me, it’s a good thing,) this riesling is so beautifully aromatic. We are talking citrus, apricot, and herbs – all the freshest aromatics that make sweet potato pie taste extra divine. Not to mention the fantastic acidity of Riesling, which relaxes sweet potato pie’s richness.

Chocolate Chess Pie

How can you have a dessert table without a little chocolate? If you’re lucky enough to have a decadent chocolate chess pie for dessert (or any rich chocolate dessert that is,) you can’t go wrong with a ruby port. It is rich, juicy, and full of the berry flavor that chocolate just loves.

But, if you want to be a little more adventurous, go for a passito style red wine or dessert wine. Passito is a winemaking style that involves drying grapes prior to fermentation. Recioto della Valpolicella makes a stunning pairing for chocolate pie or cake, with its sinful cherry flavors. Or, you can also seek out an Aleatico Passito, a magnetic dessert wine from the gorgeous island of Elba. It can taste of berries and roses, making it a natural complement to chocolate.

 

A final note on wine and pie pairings…

Hungry for pie already? That’s the spirit. We hope that you get adventurous and try out any of these wine and pie pairings. Trust me, the flavor combinations are powerful enough to remedy any tension at the holiday dinner table!

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