Ready to start planning for spring’s favorite event—brunch? Make sure you don’t miss our guide to some of the best wines to pair with brunch foods!
Let’s be honest; brunch is more than a meal—it’s a lifestyle, a sweet ritual for coming together with family, friends, and loved ones catching up.
If you’re excited to start planning brunch for the spring, don’t forget that there are more drink options than Bloody Marys and mimosas. In fact, just like for most foods, there’s a wine that’ll pair well with either your sweet or savory brunch pick. Below, you’ll find some of the best wines to pair with brunch foods. Don’t miss it!
Savory & Sweet Combos
Their Pairing Partner: Champagne and All Things Bubbles
Are you a fan of chicken and waffles? Or maybe you got creative in the kitchen during the pandemic and learned to mix and match salty and sweet in your favorite breakfast foods? Either way, there’s a wine to match that mood—bubbly!
You want something that will cleanse your palate between each bite, not add more to the already complex flavor profile. Champagne is our favorite pairing for chicken and waffles, but most bubblies will do!
Wine recommendation: Julien Denby Brut Réserve Champagne NV
Sweet Spots: Dishes Such as Pancakes, French Toast, or Crepes
Their Pairing Partner: Moscato d’Asti or a Sweeter Sparkling
We’ve talked about this before when we talked about wine pairing tips, but you want to pair sweet with sweet. A dry wine will lose all flavor when paired with a sweet dish, leaving you with a not-so-pleasant aftertaste. So that means brunch sweets need to pair with wine sweets.
Our go-to is the sweet, effervescent flavor of Moscato d’Asti. It has a lower alcohol content, so it’s a nice glass to have if you don’t want to feel sleepy the rest of the afternoon.
Veggie-Forward Plates
Their Pairing Partner: Grenache or Pinot Noir
Where are our vegetable lovers out there? If you’re a frittata eater, veggie omelet devour-er, or a greens grain bowl chomper, then you’ll want a medium-bodied, bright, and fruity red wine. You won’t want to go with full, deep reds for these vegetable dishes, but you can go for something midrange.
In this case, we’d recommend a Grenache or a Pinot Noir. It’s on the lighter side of the spectrum, with that perfect fruity flavor to marry sweetly with the vegetables on your plate.
Wine recommendation: Hook and Ladder Winery Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Midnight Ranch 2021
Robust, Meaty Dishes: Think “Meat-Lover”
Their Pairing Partner: Cabernet Franc
On the opposite end of the vegetable spectrum, we have meat, meat, and more meat. If you’re a savory, meat-loving brunch eater, then your wine glass is going to be the darkest at the table. In general, the proteins in your meats will dance wonderfully with the tannins in your darker reds. An earthy wine like a Cabernet Franc has spicy, earthy, and vegetal notes, which work well with the rich and savory meats.
Wine recommendation: 92 Pt. Loire Valley Chinon 2019 Cabernet Franc Alain Lorieux ‘Expression’
Now, these aren’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to the best wines to pair with brunch foods, but they do provide a great starting point. The next time you plan a brunch for loved ones, partner with Wines ‘Til Sold Out, and we’ll help you get all your favorites on the table. As the online wine shop with everything you’re looking for, we’ll make brunch season even better!