Pairings | Muscat de Rivesaltes

Wine pairings for pumpkin pie

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on November 23 2010 at 08:40

I have a bit of a problem with pumpkin pie. I'm not a big fan of pumpkin and I don't have a massively sweet tooth which makes the thought of partnering it with a sweet wine a bit of a killer. But I know I'm in a minority and with Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday here are my top picks:

Not all pumpkin pies are alike of course so I've taken two contrasting recipes from British cookery writers Delia Smith and Rowley Leigh - Delia in the Telegraph and Leigh in the FT. You can also find my own version here.

Delia’s is the darker spicier pie so I’d be thinking in terms of an Australian liqueur Muscat or a fortified wine such as an oloroso sherry, a sweet marsala or a 10 year old tawny port (the modern Otima would be a good choice which would also work particularly well with my nut-topped version).

Leigh's is a more classic, lighter recipe that I think would work better with a southern French Muscat such as a Muscat de Rivesaltes or a late harvest Riesling with its contrasting streak of acidity. Or, if you’re prepared to be unconventional, a Greek Muscat from the island of Samos would be delicious.

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