Wine and food lovers, rejoice.
In the recent past, when sommeliers were asked for their favorite pairings, foie gras and Sauternes may have been at the top of the list. Although that duo is delectable, most of today’s wine lovers are on a tighter budget. From Big Macs and Burgundy to fried chicken with Champagne, we are experiencing a revolution in which wine professionals rethink standard rules and create exciting, approachable combinations.
Pairing wine and ice cream might not seem intuitive, but it’s possible. We pair wine with cheese, with soft, squishy cheese, and even ricotta. Dairy plus fat plus wine is a good combination. Why, then, isn’t the pairing more common?
Larissa Dubose, founder and educator at The Lotus and the Vines, says the pairing is possible, “when done with care.”If you want to tackle this difficult yet surprisingly delicious combination, keep these expert tips in mind.
Ice, Ice Baby Too Cold
Serving wine or ice cream at an extremely cold temperature will diminish their flavors. Letting the ice cream soften will allow you to taste more of the flavors. When pairing wine and ice cream, it is recommended to taste the ice cream, then wait seven seconds to try the wine. This way the cold temperature of the ice cream will not numb the palate.
How Sweet it is
Do not forget one of the golden rules of wine-and-food pairing: The wine must be sweeter than the dessert. A perfect example is an ice wine or Sauternes paired with vanilla ice cream. The luscious mouthfeel and sweetness of these wines, paired with the creamy texture of the ice cream would be an ideal pairing.
Sugar can alter the palate and perceptions, so proceed carefully when pairing wine with something as traditionally sweet as ice cream.
If you take an extremely dry wine with a sweet dish, it [the wine] tastes very bitter and astringent. However, there are exceptions. If the ice cream has a savory component, such as green tea matcha ice cream or goat cheese ice cream, then some dry, or mostly dry, Rieslings would work well. Consider making your own ice cream to control its sweetness and add that savory element.
You might also find success with dry but fruit-forward wines, like Willamette Valley Pinot Noir rosé with Italian butter cookie ice cream.
Trouble With Tannins
When it comes to pairings, tannins can be a beast to tame. Bitter or astringent flavors that come from grape skin, seeds, stems, or oak aging, tannins can provide texture, body, and complexity to the wine.
High-tannic wines are best paired with fatty cuts of meat, like Cabernet Sauvignon and ribeye. The richness and fattiness of the steak soften the tannins. When a dry, tannic wine is paired with sweet ice cream, it’s a whole mess—the wine will taste bitter. It is best to avoid anything with tannins.
Wine Experts’ Favorite Ice Cream Pairings
Goat cheese steeped with thyme and honey made into ice cream with as little sugar as possible, paired with Condrieu
Vanilla ice cream with ice wine or Pedro Ximénez sherry
Berry or chocolate ice cream with Brachetto d’Acqui
Coffee or nut-based ice cream with sherry
Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked with port
Miso peach, bacon, peanut butter curry, or similar savory ice creams with madeira
