The Sommelier’s Smart Guide to Pairing Wine and Soup
Ladle up a perfect match with these tips and pairings to bowl you over
There is so much going on in a bowl of soup: simmering ingredients seem to magically lead to layers of flavors. And no matter if it’s chunky or pureed, spicy or creamy, chock full of meat, seafood or veggies, it can be tricky to find a wine to enjoy with every spoonful. We asked sommeliers for their overall strategies for slurp-worthy bottles to uncork, as well as their favorite matchups. Soup’s on!
Wine and Soup Pairing Strategies
1. Consider texture and temperature
The thickness and mouthfeel, as well as the temperature at which it’s served, are the main consideration for pairing wine with soup, according to Aviram Turgeman, beverage director of Chef Driven Restaurant Group in New York. The chill and bubbles of Champagne contrast the weight and heat of richer soups, while earth-driven wines or partially oxidized fortified bottles work in recipes with root vegetables. “Stews tend to be more complex due to the length of cooking and ingredients, so I like a richer, complex wine to echo that.”
2. Don’t overcomplicate match-ups
“Soups marry many ingredients over a long period of time, so when pairing a wine with dishes built on layers of flavor, simplicity is often the best route,” says Justin Mose, wine director of Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Cream soups often work best with high-acid whites that haven’t seen any oak-like Chablis, while light-bodied ones need nothing more than an easy-drinking expression like pinot grigio.
3. Try a splash of Sherry
Every year Common House, a restaurant and social house in Charlottesville, Virginia, hosts an event pairing soup with sherry. Sommelier Erin Scala and staff encourage guests to first try the sherry by itself, then pour a little bit in their bowl to see how it opens up flavors in their bowl. She recommends Fino and Amontillado styles with curried soups or those with squash, Oloroso with richer, umami-tinged styles with mushroom or beef broth, and sweet PX Sherry with decadent recipes like potato soup with shaved black truffles.
4. Balance spices with a little sweetness and moderate ABV
If your dish has chili powder, dried peppers, or even ginger, select a wine with a little residual sugar-like riesling, Moscato or Gewurztraminer, suggests Mose. “And choosing a wine with too high a degree of alcohol can accentuate spice and have you reaching for the water glass to put out the fire,” he adds, so check the percentage on the labeling when serving up soups like spicy ramen, chili, or posole.
soup and wine pairings to try:
1. Ramen
Ramen photo credits to Susann Schuster unsplash
Never mind the packets of dried noodles with flavor packets sold in bulk at the grocery store; real ramen is a complex, flavorful labor of love that comes in different styles according to the base for its broth: shoyu (soy sauce), shio (salt), miso and tonkotsu (pork bones and meat). Riesling can work with all of them. “The high acidity cuts through the broth without muting its flavor and also works between bits or slurps as a palate cleanser, making you want to go back for more,” says Mose. Tonkotsu ramen derives its flavor from emulsifying pork fat into a pork bone broth. Christian Shaum, beverage director for The Bristol in Chicago, specifically points to Alsace, France near the eastern border of Germany, where white wines are often paired with pork. “Riesling from Alsace leaves behind traditional flavors of sweet peaches and apricots that come to the minds of most regular wine drinkers in favor of tart citrus and steely minerality,” he says.
● Dr. Loosen “Dr. L” Riesling 2019 ($13), “vibrant and alive with notes of lime candy and Granny Smith apple, there’s also a savory component here with aspects of Aleppo pepper and oven-roasted chicken,” Mose says.
● Domaine Weinbach Riesling 2018 ($26), “a historic producer whose entry-level Riesling offers a tremendous depth of flavor, complexity, and value,” Shaum says. “I promise it will quickly become one of your ‘go-to house whites.’”
2. Mushroom Soup
Whether made with milk and cream or beef broth, mushroom soup is the very definition of comfort food. And the earthiness of those fungi are a no-brainer for the forest floor, wet leaves and other secondary notes you find in pinot noir. Lydia Kurkoski, sommelier and sales manager at Copper Vine in New Orleans, looks to the Pacific Northwest. “The lighter body and high acidity of Oregon pinot noir is perfect for cutting through a thick cream base,” she says. “[It also] tends towards flavors of earth and truffle, notes that highlight the earthy vegetable flavor from the mushrooms.” Mose believes red Burgundy is also a sublime pairing for mushroom soup, especially those made with wild varieties. “Bright flavors of tart fruit offer a counterpoint to lush cream and intertwine with the scents of the forest floor to complement morels, chanterelles or portabellas.”
● Anne Amie Winemaker’s Selection Pinot Noir 2018 ($28), fresh and vibrant, with mouthwatering acidity, red cherries and smooth tannins.
● Domaine Joseph Faiveley “Bourgogne Rouge” 2018 ($25), “fresh aromas of sweet cherry fill the glass and are undercut by a touch of black pepper and a hint of smoke,” Mose says.
3. French Onion Soup
French Onion Soup photo credit sheri silver for Unsplash
Who can resist a crock bubbling over with melted cheese and croutons covering a dark, rich, rustic beef broth filled with slow-cooked onions that add to the dense texture? “When considering wine pairings for French onion soup, the cheese plays the deciding role,” Kurkoski declares. “Strongly flavored and thick in texture, this garnish demands a clean and crisp wine, with a good amount of body.” Her recommendation is aligoté, the lesser-known white varietal from Burgundy, often overlooked in favor of the more popular chardonnay, which has fruity notes of green apple and lemon, hints of florality and a balanced but lively acidity. An unoaked chardonnay would also be a clean and crisp choice.
● Domaine Faiveley Bourgogne Aligoté 2017 ($20), with a light yellow hue, notes of lemon peel and white flower and a clean finish.
● Balletto Vineyards Teresa’s Unoaked Chardonnay 2019 ($20), with floral aromas, flavors of green apple and hints of pear, a light body and a refreshing finish.
4. Tomato Soup / Bisque
Its association with its childhood partner--a grilled cheese sandwich dipped and eaten concurrently--makes tomato soup an underrated option. But elevating it by adding some basil, oregano or other spices or a touch of cream and it becomes truly great. Leaning on that mentality of “if it grows together it goes together” mentality, Kurkoski looks to Tuscany, specifically the bright acidity and slightly under ripe red fruit flavors found in Chianti. “The tart, fresh flavors of tomato would easily make other reds of similar structure fall flat,” she says. “However, the natural zest of Chianti speaks to the flavors of the region.”
● Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico Riserva 2017 ($35),
● Il Molino di Grace Chianti Classico Riserva 2016 ($27), which Shaum describes as having a “complex and spice-driven nose...and secondary flavors of rosemary, oregano and roasted tomato.”
5. Pozole Rojo / Chili
Whether you prefer the pork broth-based Mexican stew flavored with ancho chile, Mexican oregano, garlic, red chiles and lime and packed with hominy and chunks of tender pork, or one of endless iterations of chili--with beans or without, spicy or mild, with beef, ground turkey or vegetarian--look for a full-flavored wine to go alongside, according to Shaum. “We want to match this dish's intensity of flavor with a wine that is just as intense.” A Rioja from Spain is the answer, which has rich flavors of both red and black fruit but moderate tannins so as not to exacerbate the heat.
● La Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Rioja Reserva ($20), “intense and bright with loads of red fruit (raspberries, wild strawberries and red plums), which give way to notes of vanilla, nutmeg, dill and cedar from barrel aging,” says Shaum.
● Marques de Murrieta Reserva Rioja 2015 ($30), a blend of tempranillo, garnacha, mazuelo and graciano, with spice, cherry and a velvety mouthfeel as well as integrated tannins.
6. New England Clam Chowder / Lobster Bisque
Chowder photo credit Kevin Lanceplaine for Unsplash
Both of these hearty soups have in common a creamy base and lots of succulent shellfish; clam chowder also gets some smokiness from bacon, while seafood bisque often sees a splash of sherry. According to Shaum, traditional method bubbles are the way to go, doing double duty as a palate scrubber and a buttery, brioche-tinged partner for all that decadent butter, cream and tender seafood. He’s partial to Brut Champagne, but Crémant to Bourgogne will have a similar profile.
● Charles Heidsieck NV Brut Champagne ($50), “a full bodied Champagne that explodes with flavors of roasted apple, fresh croissant, and white strawberries,” Shaum says.
● Albert Bichot Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Réserve ($30), with aromas of grapefruit and lime, a fresh palate and a great balance of fruit, acid and secondary notes of buttery brioche.