Which Wine to Pair With Pumpkin or Butternut Squash Dishes?

Autumn and cold winter days call for our favourite cucurbits in the kitchen, i.e. pumpkin and butternut squash! With all the possible variations, what wine should you serve? Discover the food and wine pairing recommendations of the Vinatis experts.

DRY AND FRUITY LOIRE VALLEY WHITES

velouté potimarron, soupe potimarron

WHICH WINE WITH PUMPKIN SOUP?

Recipes are varied when it comes to pumpkin soup. Some call for spices such as curry, turmeric, pink peppercorns and others suggest adding coconut milk. In all cases, the presence of crème fraîche is inevitable for veloutés. When thinking about food and wine pairings, it is essential to consider crème fraîche as it creates that velvety, smooth texture when combined with pumpkin.

DRY AND CRISP LOIRE VALLEY WHITE

CLASSIC MUSCADET - DOMAINE DE L'ÉCU

To accompany your pumpkin soup, a crisp, dry white wine with a mineral mouthfeel is what is needed to break up the velvety texture and bring a fresh feeling to the meal. Dry white wines from the Loire Valley, some with fine citrus aromas, are excellent options to accompany your pumpkin soup. The sometimes slightly oily mouthfeel of some references is not a problem, as a reminder of the creamy texture of the velouté is just as pleasant.

For a white wine from the Loire, Vinatis recommends a Muscadet AOC from the Melon de Bourgogne grape variety.

GEWÜRZTRAMINER FROM ALSACE

GEWÜRZTRAMINER RÉSERVE PARTICULIÈRE - HENRI EHRHART

For recipes suggesting spices and aromatics such as saffron, coriander, cumin, paprika, thyme, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, dry mustard, curry or chili pepper, choose wines from very aromatic varieties. The king of aromatic grape varieties is Gewürztraminer and Alsace is the proud representative of this variety!

In Alsatian white wine 100% Gewürztraminer, Vinatis recommends a cuvée from the Henri Ehrhart estate.

LOIRE WHITE WINE

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ALSACE WHITE WINE

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butternut, courge butternut, butternut rôti

WHICH WINE WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH?

Whether simply roasted in the oven with no tricks, stuffed with meat, rice or quinoa, roasted butternut squash is a great autumn classic! The velvety texture of the squash combines with the sweet aromas and roasted flavours of the oven.

SAUVIGNON FROM LOIRE

LA CHARMETTE POUILLY FUMÉ - DOMAINE CHAUVEAU

To accompany your roasted butternut squash, you can absolutely opt for a dry white wine from the Loire region made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety. These wines will accompany the squash without accentuating the sweetness of the butternut. An aromatic grape variety without being too complex, Sauvignon is recommended to support the melting texture of the roasted squash. Thanks to its touch of sweet spices and toasted bread, choose a 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Domaine Chauveau. The freshness and minerality of this Loire reference make it a perfect match for oven-roasted butternut squash.

LIGHT AND FRUITY RED WINE

SANCERRE ROUGE - DOMAINE FOUASSIER

For those who swear by red, know that the roasted butternut squash goes very well with a light red wine, whose palate fully expresses the fruit. If your squash is accompanied by a meat stuffing or simply an accompaniment for a poultry or a piece of red meat, all the more reason to serve red wine! Be careful with the tannins, however, which should not be too present. This is why a red wine made from the Gamay grape or the Pinot Noir grape is ideal. The Beaujolais Villages and Sancerre appellations are full of gems that will go very well with your roasted butternut. For a little more freshness due to its high altitude terroir, the red wines of Savoie 100% Gamay are also excellent options.

In the Sancerre appellation, Vinatis recommends 100% Pinot Noir cuvée from the Fouassier estate.

SANCERRE AOC

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BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES

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purée courge, bol de purée de courge

WHICH WINE WITH PUMPKIN PURÉE?

Like a velouté, pumpkin purée has a certain consistency in addition to its creamy texture. The more or less sweet flesh of the pumpkin should be taken into consideration when it comes to food and wine pairing. However, it is rare that the puree is eaten on its own. In most meals, it will be an accompaniment to poultry or white meat, for example.

LOIRE WHITE WINE OR ALSATIAN PINOT NOIR

VOUVRAY SEC - DOMAINE DE VAUGONDY

White or red wine, it all depends on your preferences. To match the textures and aromas of the dish, the ideal white wine is a dry white wine from the Loire region made from the Chenin Blanc grape variety. The Vouvray appellation in the Loire Valley offers wines whose characteristics match the desired profile. With your pumpkin purée, the experts at Vinatis recommend a 100% Chenin from the Vaugondy estate.

PINOT NOIR RESERVE - GUSTAVE LORENTZ

For red lovers, opt for a light red wine with discreet tannins. If your main piece is red meat, white meat or even poultry, Alsatian red wines made from the Pinot Noir grape are once again excellent choices! No false note possible with these jewels from the east of France. Fall for this cuvée with fine tangy notes reminiscent of raspberry and redcurrant.

verre de vin rouge d'alsace, verre de pinot noir, pinot noir d'Alsace

AlSATIAN RED WINES

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gratin de potiron

WHICH WINE WITH PUMPKIN GRATIN?

VIOGNIER - MAISON DELAS FRERES

Pumpkin gratin, squash gratin or butternut gratin, all the recipes have in common the presence of melted cheese and bechamel sauce. These elements are essential in making the decision on the best food and wine pairing to achieve. A dry white wine with good acidity is recommended in order to bring a balance to the smoothness and fat of the dish. For meals composed of gratins, a simple and not too complex wine is ideal. If several appellations meet these criteria, head to the Pays d'Oc with their white wines made from the Viognier grape variety. Viognier, mainly cultivated in the regions of the South of France, offers aromas of white flowers and orange blossom. For a nice au gratin of pumpkin and wine without breaking the bank, discover this 100% Viognier cuvée from Maison Delas Frères.

tarte à la citrouille, part de tarte à la citrouille, tarte citrouille

WHICH WINE WITH PUMPKIN PIE?

RIVESALTES AMBRÉ HORS D'ÂGE - DOMAINE LAFAGE

After the main course, the dessert! American-inspired pumpkin pie is a staple of the season. The sweetness of the flesh of this cucurbitaceae and the spices which make up the preparation of the dessert direct us straight to the Rivesaltes controlled label of origin. These VDN's, natural sweet wines, with exquisite aromas of dried fruits, coffee and toasted nuts on the nose are what it takes to accompany a slice of pumpkin pie. Not only is the combo perfect in terms of taste, the amber colour of Rivesaltes wines matches that of pumpkin. End your meal in style with a recommendation from the experts at Vinatis, a Rivesaltes from the renowned Lafage estate.