Pairing Wines with Pecans: The Comprehensive List You Need
Mouth-watering pecans are the perfect addition to any party, but you may not know how to pair wines with pecans. With the right pairings, pecans effortlessly elevate any gathering with their rich flavors. To ensure your event is memorable, this curated selection of wine pairings for pecans covers a wide range of wines, ensuring there’s something for every guest’s wine preference. No matter what assortment of savory roasted pecans you choose to serve, you’ll have ample wine choices for perfect pairings.
From the crisp, refreshing notes of a Sauvignon Blanc that beautifully complement Parmesan Garlic Butter and Rosemary Black Pepper, to the robust, earthy qualities of a Pinot Noir that harmonize with Bacon Maple and Reaper and Weep, this guide provides insightful recommendations to elevate your autumn and holiday parties and impress your guests. With this list in hand, you’ll master the art of pairing wines with pecans and create unforgettable party experiences.
Go Beyond Dry Wines
Your guests will rave about your event and your impeccable spread if you expand beyond the usual assortment of dry white and red wines. Sparkling wines such as Champagne and Cava, and sweeter bubblies such as Prosecco and even Moscato are versatile and food-friendly. Sparkling wines are adaptable and can be an excellent choice for pairing with spicy foods. The effervescence and acidity of sparkling wines help cleanse the palate, providing a refreshing break from spicy or fatty foods.
Prosecco is one of the most popular sparkling wines and is recognized for its light, floral, fruity, and aromatic notes. It is especially suited to snacky foods and appetizers like pecans and therefore works well with almost any grazing table or charcuterie.
Moscato and Lambrusco are good options for new wine drinkers as either can ease them into the flavorful world of bubbles.
“The acid of the wine needs to be as high or higher than the food it’s paired with. And since Champagne has the highest acidity of any wine made, it’s virtually impossible to find something it can’t party with.”
— Amanda McCrossin, sommelier and host of the podcast Wine Access Unfiltered.
Don’t be deceived into thinking that wine isn’t supposed to be sweet or that sweet wines are inherently inferior to dry wines. While your introduction to wine might have been through cheap sweet wines, quality sweet wines, whether a sparkling Moscato or Lambrusco, sweet Riesling, or late-harvest white wines, deserve our respect and appreciation. When pairing wines with pecans, don’t be afraid to serve sweet wines.
Is it Syrah or Shiraz? and Other Wine Puzzles
Now’s the time to mention that wine names are determined by, and limited to, the region where the grapes are grown as well as by the varietal of grape. Champagne comes from a specific region in France, while its less expensive but identically produced Spanish cousin is called Cava. The varietal referred to as Syrah in France became known as Shiraz when it was brought to Australia. Wine aficionados will know that the styles of Syrah and Shiraz differ, so there are some differences in taste and they are not necessarily interchangeable. Nonetheless, I refer to Syrah and Shiraz together because both refer to the same grape. Not surprisingly, wine names also vary by language. For instance, French Grenache and Spanish Garnacha are the same grape and are grouped here.
Mouth-Watering Pecans are Versatile Party-Goers
You don’t have to stop at pairing wines with pecans. Pecans pair well with many different beverages. I’ve written about pairing pecans with coffee for that late-morning break or mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Because I love to add pecans to any party or casual get-together and we always have a few cheeses on hand, I’ve also written about pairing pecans with cheese. The great thing about serving pecans and cheese together is that pecans provide crunch for soft cheeses and a creamy counterpoint to hard cheeses. Not to leave out the beer drinkers, I wrote about beer and pecans some time ago and you can read it or refresh your memory here.
Recommendations for Pairing Wines with Pecans
Any good wine-themed party will have a variety of wines. Here’s a pro tip that engages your guests and stretches your party budget: ask your guests to bring a bottle of either their favorite wine or one that they’ve always wanted to try. Most wine lovers enjoy sharing their knowledge and their favorite wines.
Luckily, a wide variety of wines pair well with seasoned pecans. So, no matter what your guests bring or you choose to serve, you’ll be assured of complementary flavors.
Rather than using a typical wine classification system, I’ve listed the different possibilities in alphabetical order. I’ve grouped them by sparklings first, then whites, and finally, reds.
A disclaimer: these recommendations are limited to the more popular and readily available wines and are meant to be a guide. What matters is what you like, so go ahead and experiment!
Agave Ginger
When it comes to spices, ginger is an extrovert, stimulating the tastebuds much the way chilies do. With the sharpness of limes or lemons, pairing Agave Ginger with tart wines can be overwhelming. So here, you want wines that are low in tannins, and those with citrus, floral, and even ginger notes, with just a touch of sweetness. Gewürztraminer and Valpolicella are good choices.
Sparklings: Prosecco and Moscato
Whites: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Viognier
Reds: Grenache/Garnacha, Sauternes, Valpolicella.
Bacon Maple
Think about Sunday brunch when considering what to pair with this mouth-watering flavor. Rich whites and robust reds compliment bacon’s salty and smoky qualities. While you might be tempted to go to sweet wines, they tend to be too much against the organic maple sugar in Bacon Maple.
Sparklings: Champagne, Cava, Lambrusco.
Whites: Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, White Burgundy.
Reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel.
Butter and Sea Salt
In general, salty and sweet are fabulous together. The saltiness of Butter and Sea Salt calls for wines with higher acidity. The salt will make your wine seem less acidic, so lower-acid wines will fall flat. However, salt is generally wine-friendly and will boost wine’s fruit flavors and soften astringency. This flavor is particularly good with sparkling whites. Your tastebuds will thank you when you pair a sweeter wine with salty and rich Butter and Sea Salt.
Sparklings: Cava or Champagne, Prosecco.
Whites: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauternes.
Reds: Marsala, Port, Syrah/Shiraz.
Memphis BBQ
The peppery and spicy flavors of Memphis BBQ call for a bold wine with rich red berry fruits like blackberry and strawberry. But don’t limit yourself to reds. The same flavors also work well with light whites, slightly sweeter whites, and sweeter sparklings.
Sparklings: Lambrusco, Moscato, Prosecco.
Whites: Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Viognier.
Reds: Chianti, Malbec, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Zinfandel.
Parmesan Garlic Butter
You might think you have to stick to Italian reds when it comes to the flavor we call “everyone’s favorite Italian threesome,” but you don’t. Reds from around the world, as well as a variety of whites, work well with these flavors. This makes Parmesan Garlic Butter one of our most versatile flavors as well as one that is a familiar favorite for those who are just getting introduced to better-for-you snacks.
Sparklings: Lambrusco.
Whites: Albarino, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano, White Burgundy.
Reds: Beaujolais, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Garnacha, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese,Tempranillo, Zinfandel.
Reaper and Weep
When it comes to wine pairings, there’s an adage: “What grows together, goes together.” While that’s generally true, it’s not helpful when you’re venturing into spicy flavors such as ginger or hot chilies that hail from nearer the equator, where grapes are not grown.
Yes, you can pair wine with a fiery snack like Reaper and Weep. You first notice the sweetness as well as the saltiness in this flavor. The heat can overpower and dull your palate, reducing your ability to appreciate anything you might drink. So, to tame the Carolina Reaper beast, try a sweeter wine or one that is fruity or light. (Remember, fruity is not the same as sweet.) Avoid wines that have a high level of tannins.
Sparklings: Brut Champagne, Cava, Prosecco.
Whites: Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier.
Reds: Beaujolais, Carmenère, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinotage, Shiraz, Valpolicella, Zinfandel.
Rosemary Black Pepper
The earthy and woodsy flavor of rosemary makes this an exceptionally wine-friendly flavor. Wines that go well with rosemary also go well with black pepper. By now you may know that the aromas found in wine are also found in some herbs and spices. Black pepper and Syrah, for instance, have floral and spicy aspects, and when you put them together, they amplify each other. Further, pungent Tellicherry black pepper makes it a natural complement to the berry notes found in Cabernet.
Sparklings: Cava or Champagne, Moscato, Prosecco
Whites: Albarino, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier.
Reds: Brunello, Cabernet Sauvignon, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Chianti, Petite Sirah, Port, Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel.
We’re Kickin’ It
This flavor is a bolder barbecue than our Memphis BBQ and contains no sugar. If you want to enhance the spiciness, choose bold and fruity reds – Syrah/Shiraz or Grenache/Garnacha. The smoky depth of We’re Kickin’ It makes it a perfect pairing for structured, bolder reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Zinfandel.
Sparklings: Lambrusco.
Whites: Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling, Viognier.
Reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache/Granacha, Malbec, Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel.
Just in Time for the Party Season
With autumn on its way, it’s time to start thinking about cooler-weather parties with seasonal food themes like pecans and wine. Wine-themed parties tend to be casual and offer a lot of versatility both in wines and in the foods you serve with them. Whether you lean toward whites or reds, dry or sweet, the list above should make it easy for pairing wines with pecans.
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