As the first shoots of pumpkin plants come up in the our back yard, memories bring a smile to my face. For I know that in six months those promises of pumpkins waiting to be born will turn into the bright orange purée I’ll use to make pumpkin pie. And my favorite tipple to go with it? Chardonnay, of course.
My friend Lori came up with the idea one bleak Thanksgiving in Kansas, when we needed the sunshine to cut through the gray. The golden straw of a Cakebread Chardonnay Reserve married perfectly to our taste buds, with the sweet spices of cinnamon and nutmeg playing off the baked apples in the wine’s nose and palate.
The next year, in Colorado, the skies were a lot bluer, but Chardonnay still reigned. This time, the maple pumpkin pie competed on our table with a key lime chiffon pie (those limes coming via UPS from a friend’s tree in Fort Myers, Florida). And the next spring we tried pumpkin waffles with our wine, splashed with a bit of fruit. Next it was pumpkin pancakes–and the pairing still holds true.
So I look forward to those blazing orange globes growing heavy on the vine…and we’ll find a good bottle of wine to go along!
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- Key Lime Pie competes with Maple Pumpkin Pie for a pairing with the Cakebread single vineyard Chardonnay
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- Pumpkin waffles, Chardonnay, and good friends in Colorado
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- Another take: Chardonnay with Pumpkin Waffles and a healthy splash of fruits