What to Drink
The Best Wines to Pair with Pancakes
Pick the best wines to pair with your favorite pancakes and toppings this Pancake Day.
Pancakes are mostly what their toppings make them, sweet, savory, or tart. However you like them, we have just the right wines for you to pair your pancakes with.
As you bottomless brunch your way through your pancakes today, enjoy it with these award-winning wines.
Sugar and lemon pancakes
The sugar and a lemon pancake is a classic, and a perfect blend of flavors - a little sweet, and a little tangy. A glass of slightly sweet and refreshing wine like a Moscato would be perfect with a sugar-lemon topped pancake. Try the Barefoot Cellars Moscato White, a silver medalist at USA Wine Ratings. If you prefer a bubbly, then an off-dry prosecco like the Mionetto by Freixenet Mionetto [88 points, Sommeliers Choice Awards] would wash these down well.
Other wines to try:
• La Marca - Luminore Prosecco [86 points, Sommeliers Choice Awards]
• Salton Espumante Prosecco [84 points, Sommeliers Choice Awards]
• O'Leary Fine Wines Moscato [89 points, USA Wine Ratings]
• Massolino Moscato d'Asti [87 points, Sommeliers Choice Awards]
Chocolate
Whether it’s Nutella, chocolate chips, or chocolate sauce - there are definitely some lovers of cocoa goodness out there. With a chocolate topping of your choice, an ideal wine would be a sort of dry red, like a Cabernet Sauvignon. Try the Ehlers Estate 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon, a double gold-medalist at the Sommeliers Choice Awards.
If you want to pair your chocolate-topped pancakes with something lighter, then look for a Riesling, like the St Andrews Riesling, which was crowned Wine of the Year at the 2020 USA Wine Ratings, along with other honors such as ‘Best in the show by Country (Australia)’, ‘Best in the show by Varietal (Riesling)’, and ‘Best wine by Quality’.
Other wines to try:
• Marianna by Michael Pozzan Winery [95 points, USA Wine Ratings]
• Fog Catcher by Niner Wine Estates [95 points, Sommeliers Choice Awards]
• Grigori Family Reserve Riesling [92 points, USA Wine Ratings]
Maple Syrup
Maple Syrup on pancakes - the more the better. The thick syrup seeping into every pore of the pancake softens and sweetens it. If you’re a lover of whites, then pair your pancakes & syrup with a Chardonnay like Two Cultures Chardonnay by Trimboli Family Wines, a gold-medalist at the USA Wine Ratings. If you’d rather sip on a red, try a Valpolicella Ripasso like Tenuta Valleselle Rovertondo, another one of USA Wine Ratings’ gold winners.
Other wines to try:
• Sidewood Chardonnay [90 points, USA Wine Ratings]
• J Vineyards - Chardonnay [85 points, Sommeliers Choice Awards]
• Valpolicella Superiore DOC "Ripasso" by Deianira [85 points, Sommeliers Choice Awards]
Fresh berries & other fruit
Fluffy pancakes topped with fresh berries are definitely a great way to start the day (or end it!). With the berries adding a tart touch to the pancake, a sparkling or still rosé would pair perfectly. The light feel of the wine will surely urge you to go for seconds. If you’re a bubbly lover, then try the Etoile Rosé, a 93 point gold medal winner at the Sommeliers Choice Awards. If you prefer a still wine, then try out USA Ratings’ gold medal winner Angels & Cowboys Rosé.
Other wines to try:
• Salton Espumante Rosé Brut [92 points, Sommeliers Choice Awards]
• Bonterra Organic Vineyards Rosé [91 points, USA Wine Ratings]
Savory pancakes
If you like your pancakes topped with cheese, mushrooms, and ham, then a smooth, dry white like a Pinot Blanc would be your ideal choice. Try out the Pinot Blanc by Pure The Winery, which, with 77 points, is a bronze medalist at the 2020 Sommeliers Choice Awards.
