The Best Wine To Pair With Pumpkin Dishes

When fall is in full swing, there's nothing quite like cooking with pumpkin. Autumn is one of the best times of year for produce, and pumpkins, along with their cousins, butternut and honeynut squashes, make for a versatile and delicious addition to any cook's arsenal once late the cold starts sweeping in. Wherever there's food, wine isn't far behind — and whether you're stuffing your pumpkins with aromatic rice, or incorporating them into a herbed potato and pumpkin gratin, there's an art to picking the best boozy pairing possible.

To navigate the pumpkin pairing palaver, Food Republic asked Gabriel Corbett, sommelier of the two Michelin-starred Jônt in Washington, DC, to lend us his keen nose. "Pumpkin dishes in the U.S. I find to be particularly sweet, so if you're having it as part of a savory experience, doing something that can play well with the sugar is important," he told us.

"Gewurztraminer has a lovely spice that could add to the complexity of the dish ... having a bit of residual sugar will be fun." Balancing that sweetness is crucial when it comes to pumpkin, but having a wine that complements it alongside a savory dish will result in a wonderfully complex pairing that's sure to be a hit.

For the ultimate comforting fall feeling, you can also pair your pumpkin dishes with red wine. Corbett notes that "... going for something like Amarone or Recioto di Valpolicella with their higher alcohol, residual sugar, and baking spice aromas, you get a full-bodied accompaniment to the dish."

Though pumpkins make for a brilliant savory centerpiece — from risotto to soup to a filling for fresh stuffed pasta like agnolotti — perhaps their best-loved applications are in desserts. Take the iconic maple pumpkin pie, for example. This beloved dish is a true fall staple, and it's surprisingly versatile when it comes to wine pairings. You could try it with a classic aged tawny port – often confused with sherry, port is a brilliant dessert pairing thanks to its bold fruity, nutty notes and layered sweetness. Its dark, caramelly sugars and woodsy finish make for a brilliant companion to the autumnal flavors of pumpkin pie.

By contrast, you could also pair it with a late-harvest riesling or even a French chardonnay. Whereas port will pick up on those deep caramel flavors, the buttery smooth pull of a riesling or chardonnay will uplift the more subtle sweetness in the pie's crust, bringing those nuttier, biscuity notes to the forefront of the dish.

Pumpkin bread, while pairing beautifully with a warming coffee on a frosty morning, also makes for a homely family dessert, and (like almost everything, really) benefits from the presence of wine. Pinot Gris is a good fit for a lighter glass thanks to its warm notes of honey and echoes of stone fruits and fall apples, but Pinot Noir's juicy fruit notes and subtle spiciness match beautifully with a slice of soft pumpkin bread.