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Pairing Holiday Cookies and Wine
Some ideas for adding even more holiday “spirit” to your cookie swap!
I grew up baking holiday cookies – mounds of them – every year at Christmas (really, starting Thanksgiving weekend!). It’s a tradition I have so enjoyed sharing with my kids, so every year we make a gingerbread village with lots of edible “villagers,” pumpkin cookies, pistachio-cranberry biscotti, chewy chocolate snowball cookies, and buttery pumpkin rocks with chocolate chips.
When holiday packages started arriving, we received some amazing chocolate-dipped macadamia nut shortbread cookies, and cinnamon- and chocolate rugelach as part of a New York-er “expat” package that I receive each year from friends who know how much I miss living and working in the Big Apple–especially at Christmastime. (With a sommelier career spanning the SeaGrill on the Rockefeller Center ice-skating rink, the Rainbow Room back in the day and our beloved Windows on the World, I’d have had to be Santa’s personal some to have enjoyed more festively Christmas-y Decembers.)
With all these sweets on the sideboard, I was a little surprised when my husband John came home with a package of chocolate-covered pretzels studded with peppermint crumbles from Williams-Sonoma. Of course, the kids were unfazed (actually, thrilled is more like it). But it got me thinking–what wine? I have always recommended pairing wine with holiday cookies, and have always been fearless and passionate about pairing wine and chocolate, which is controversial among somms. But, peppermint posed a tantalizing challenge. I could easily imagine Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Godiva Liqueur or a Stinger (up) with the peppermint-chocolate flavor combo–but wine? I got busy sipping and sampling.
As you can imagine, there were some real winner pairings that would make a delicious and inexpensive addition to a holiday gathering or neighborhood dessert party. Buttery, gingery, pumpkin-y, nutty, dried fruit-y and chocolatey are all flavor profiles that pair deliciously with many classic dessert wines. From my tastings, here are the best styles to look for:
Moscato d’Asti from Italy – This wine’s spiced apricot flavor profile complements anything with dried fruit, gingery or buttery flavors. The frizzante bubbles make it extra festive, and the lighter alcohol (typically around 7%) is welcome during a season of culinary and vinous indulgence. You get the same flavor profile (but higher alcohol due to fortification) in Muscat Beaumes de Venise from Southern France, Muscat of Samos from Greece, and many other classic dessert wines based on versions of the Muscat grape. The fruit cake-y Yalumba Museum Muscat from Australia was amazing, too–probably the one I’ll leave for Santa!
Malmsey Madeira from Portugal – The orange marmalade flavor make this wine based on the Malvasia grape a delicious match with buttery, gingery flavors as well as–and this might surprise you–dark chocolate. Most people don’t consider Madeira to be a classic wine match for chocolate but they should. It’s that good. I have always loved Blandy’s 10-year-old Malmsey. Broadbent is another favorite
Tawny Porto from Portugal – I prefer tawny over ruby-style ports for pairing, because their long again in oak barrels result in spicy, toasted–and-candied nut flavors that pair so perfectly with almost anything in the cookie jar. I don’t think you can beat 10-year-old tawny for value in the dessert wine realm–I love Calem, Croft and Fonseca. If you are hosting wine geeks, colheita, or vintage-dated tawny such as Noval, would be just the kind of splurge the holidays call for.
Sherry – Top quality versions of the sweeter styles of Sherry – Amontillado and true Cream Sherry – are harder to find, but worth a search and a splurge. The Barbadillo Eva Cream Sherry and Pedro Domecq Amontillado, matched everything I paired them with masterfully.
Sauternes – The honeyed apricot flavors cozy up beautifully to buttery shortbread cookies, cinnamon-y snickerdoodles, and anything with pumpkin or persimmon. Chateau Coutet is legendary for its American Thanksgiving dinner pairings. They should add Christmas cookies to their tradition.
And what about chocolate-peppermint? Though I flirted with late-bottled vintage Port, I found no shippable suitors for the peppermint–so that’s your holiday homework! Let me know if you find a wine match!
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