Wine and Fall Flavor Pairing Guide
The East Coast has always paired well with fall. The beautiful trees fighting off winter with one last fiery burst of color turns our attention towards warm and earthy flavors. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, apples, and pumpkins all make their way into our thoughts and cuisine. But just because fall is upon us doesn’t mean our drink selection must become a never-ending parade of apples. Consider pairing our wines with some of your traditional fall desserts.
Typically we don’t think of pairing fall desserts with wines, but when done right, many wines match up as well with pumpkin pie as sweaters do with falling leaves.
Harvest Ridge offers many varieties to try at your fall gatherings. While it may be easy to know what to serve with your appetizers and main course, don’t pack up your corkscrew once the dessert plates come out.
Try pairing our Chamfort with any of your cranberry desserts. The rich sweetness of this elegant dessert wine balances out the tartness of cranberries. This wine is also an outstanding way to end a meal. If you have ever needed a digestif on which to sip at the end of a meal, it is Thanksgiving!
Another great choice to carry you from the fall dinner table to the dessert bar is our Barrel Fermented Chardonnay. The creamy buttery vanilla finish is the perfect complement to the rich nuttiness of a pecan pie or a southern pecan pound cake.
The smoky complexities and full bodied flavors of the Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot make for a surprisingly perfect pair for black currant bread pudding or your dinner time cranberry sauce.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different wines and your favorite fall desserts. To help get your creative (grape) juices flowing, we have included a great guide for matching wines to some traditional fall 
desserts.
From here start branching out; if your favorite wine pairs up with pumpkin pie, try it with pumpkin cheesecake or maple cinnamon sweet potato bread. If you have a sauternes but don’t feel like apple pie or bananas foster, try it with a banana bread pudding or apple cinnamon rolls. This is just a jumping off point for you to start your fall wine tasting adventure.
While the summer may be coming to an end, the fun is just beginning. If you find that one of our wines pairs perfectly with your favorite fall dessert, please let us know! We would love to hear where your fall tasting adventure leads you.
