Wines and Meals for Cozy Evenings
As the temperature drops and the nights grow longer, there’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal paired with the perfect glass of wine. Winter comfort foods call for wines that can stand up to rich, hearty flavors while bringing out the best in every bite. We’ve selected some of our favorite cozy recipes from our website and paired them with wines from our collection for the ultimate winter dining experience.
Shepherd’s Pie
A warm, savory classic, shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort food with its rich meat filling and buttery mashed potato topping. Two of our favorite wines to pair with this dish are our Cabernet Franc or our Syrah – depending on your mood.
Cabernet Franc: With its herbal, red berry, and spice notes, Cabernet Franc enhances the dish’s savory depth, while its acidity cuts through the richness. The wine’s structured tannins provide just the right backbone to complement the dish’s hearty layers of meat, vegetables, and potatoes.
Syrah: If you’re looking for something bolder, Syrah brings dark fruit, pepper, and a touch of smoked meat to the table, amplifying the dish’s warmth and depth of flavor.
Chili con Carne (Perfect for Super Bowl Sunday!)
Spicy, smoky, and packed with bold flavors, chili con carne demands a wine that can hold its own. Our Shake Ridge Ranch Zinfandel is our go-to for this dish—its ripe blackberry and raspberry notes, along with hints of pepper and spice, mirror the chili’s complexity. Plus, Zinfandel’s fruit-forward nature helps tame the heat without overpowering the dish.
This recipe is also a great choice for Super Bowl Sunday—set up a chili bar with toppings, open a bottle of Zin, and enjoy the game!
Mississippi Pot Roast
Slow cooked to perfection, Mississippi pot roast is rich, tender, and deeply flavorful, making it the ideal match for our Cabernet Sauvignon. The structured tannins and dark fruit notes of our Cabernet cut through the richness of the meat, while hints of oak, blackcurrant, and spice bring out the dish’s savory depth. This is the kind of pairing that makes winter feel like a time to truly savor.
Wild Mushroom Risotto
Creamy, earthy, and luxurious, wild mushroom risotto finds its perfect match in our Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. With its bright acidity, silky texture, and notes of red cherry, cranberry, and forest floor, Pinot Noir beautifully enhances the umami richness of the mushrooms. The wine’s subtle herbal and spice accents add depth to the pairing, making for an elegant and balanced dining experience.
Pasta e Fagioli
Some nights just call for a steaming bowl of soup, and Pasta e Fagioli is the perfect choice—hearty beans and pasta in a wild herb infused broth make this a soul-warming classic. To complement its rustic, savory flavors, we recommend our GSM Rhône blend. The combination of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre offers vibrant red and dark fruit notes, lively acidity, and just the right touch of spice and earthiness to bring out the richness of the broth. The softness of Grenache, the peppery depth of Syrah, and the structure of Mourvèdre make this an elegant yet cozy pairing.
