Holiday Cookies & The Most Delicious Wines to Match

The Wine Pairing Guide You Didn’t Know You Needed But Will Be Happy To Have This Holiday Season

Christmas is here and I’m in the mood to cozy up by the fire with a glass of Cannonau. I’m also in the mood to get my holiday baking on! Holiday cookies were a big deal in the Dickerson household. Did your family bake a lot around the holidays, too? Lucky for me, my brothers, and all of our friends, my mom absolutely adores baking. Every year in December, the big glass jars with the hinged, snap top lids would come out. Smells of vanilla, chocolate, and caramelized sugar would fill the house. And soon our counter would be stacked with just about every holiday cookie and treat you can imagine.

Of course, we each had our favorite holiday cookies that we had to have every year and mom was always happy to oblige. My favorites were fudge (no nuts) and Russian tea cakes. Dad had to have his fudge with nuts and those cherry, coconut shortbread cookies. Jason, my oldest brother, loved the date and nut pinwheels. While Jonny, our middle brother, loved Koulourakia (Greek cookies) and fudge, too. And mom’s fudge was no rock-solid, break-your-teeth-on-it hunk of something. No, no, no. This fudge was velvety, luscious, and oh so creamy.

I’m Dreaming of a Wine Christmas

The holiday season is a great time to explore new wines. We’re celebrating, connecting with loved ones, and making merry. And while us wine lovers are always dreaming up the perfect wine pairings for appetizers and special holiday meals, we’re really missing exceptional pairing opportunities when it comes to holiday cookies. Plus, ending the meal with a sweet treat and a show-stopping wine is a surefire way to impress your guests.

There is so much diversity and a ton of intriguing winemaking techniques when it comes to dessert wines. So, they make for great conversation starters, too. Just remember to match your sweetness levels by choosing a wine that’s as sweet or a bit sweeter than the holiday cookie or dessert you’re pairing it with. Also remember that not all dessert wines have to be overly or cloyingly sweet if that’s not what you’re into.

Holiday Cookie & Wine Pairing Guide

For this holiday cookie and wine pairing guide, I selected the cookies and holiday treats that I feel are most commonly found around the holiday season. If I missed one of your favorite holiday cookies and you're curious to know what wine will pair best, please send me an email or comment below. We’ll get you set up for the holidays in no time! This is by no means a definitive guide to dessert wines, though that may come at a later date. This is by all means your golden ticket to pure indulgence this holiday season.

Sugar Cookies + Australian Botrytis Semillon

Photo Credit: Sally’s Baking Addiction

Is there a more classic holiday cookie than sugar cookies? I think not. When it comes to sugar cookies, the softer the better in my opinion. Thanks to this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction, I discovered one trick to softer cookies is to roll out the dough a bit thick to around ¼ inch thickness. And with endless opportunities for creative freedom, sugar cookies are quite possibly the most fun holiday cookie to make.

Sugar cookies can be even more fun when paired alongside a bottle of Australian botrytis Semillon. For those who aren’t familiar, botrytis cinerea (a.k.a. noble rot) is a type of fungus that grows on grapes, as well as other fruits and cheeses. However, under the right conditions, noble rot on grapes is a good thing. The fungus punctures the skins of the grapes, drying out the berries and concentrating the sugars, intensifying the sweetness and sometimes the alcohol level of the finished wine. Botrytis is also thought to contribute honey and ginger flavors.

My Wine Pick: Nobel One, Botrytis Semillon, De Bortoli

Photo Credit: De Bortoli

This wine is loaded with concentrated flavors of citrus and honeyed stone fruits with flavors of vanilla from the 12 months spent in barrel. A sweet, viscous wine kept in balance by bright acidity with just a touch of spice. Truly a delightful wine.

The Pairing

While botrytis Semillon tends towards the sweeter side of the spectrum, sugar cookies require a wine to match their sweetness. ‘Sugar’ is in the name, after all. Not to mention the basis for the beautiful frosting is also mainly sugar. The notes of honeyed stone fruits and citrus will be able to shine through in the wine when paired with sugar cookies. My favorite sugar cookies are made with vanilla and the vanilla notes in an Australian botrytis Semillon from barrel-aging perfectly complement the same flavor in the cookies.