Spiced Nut & Wine Pairing

“Pairing wine with nuts is easier than cracking a walnut” (Winking face)

There are over 50 types of nuts in the World, so let’s stick to ones we are familiar with. We will start off with the basics and for those who want a little more details you can read on.

In a nutshell (excuse the pun):

Roasted Nuts tend to pair better with rich, red wines and Raw nuts are better with something light and fresher.

Cashews: Sauvignon Blanc / Pinot Gris/Grigio -rich, high fat cashews meets the freshness & lightness of these wines.

Almonds: (Raw) Chardonnay or Champagne -The density of almonds meets the bubbles & they live happily ever after. (Roasted) = Pinot Noir

Hazelnuts: Rose

Walnuts: Pinot Noir – a delicate but more bitter flavour pairs beautifully with the delicate berry flavour of Pinot Noir.

Pecan Nuts: Riesling or Cabernet Sauvignon

Pistachios: Sparkling Wine, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc

Peanuts: Pinot Noir

Macadamia Nuts: Sparkling Wine

If you’re going on a whim with your pairings and using spiced nuts then keep this in mind:

• Candied Nuts – Cabernet Sauvignon
• Roasted Nuts – Rich Reds like Merlot, Shiraz & Cabernet
• Salted Nuts – Sparkling
• Spicy Nuts – Riesling

Keep in mind some of these awesome Spice & Wine pairings thanks to Winefolly.com:

• Acidity – many foods and wines have an acid component. For wine, the acid element adds characteristics like freshness. For foods, the acid seems to bring a certain zest to the meal. Unfortunately, highly acidic foods can overpower and cancel out many wines. They tend to hide the tannin and make wines appear sweeter.
• Bitterness – the taste of bitterness sometimes outlasts any other taste. It can cover up other elements in wine like acidity. Bitterness has also been known to hide tannin and accentuate sweetness. A combination of bitter food with bitter wine almost always ends up a bitter experience.
• Fat – foods high in fat typically require wines that balances them out with acidity or require more tannin to help cut through the taste.
• Saltiness – foods with a salty taste tend to prevent you from a wider range of wine choices. Saltiness can make a wine taste bitterer or punctuate its sweetness.
• Sweetness – sweet-tasting foods and wines seem to be a match made in heaven. However, there can be too much of a good thing here. The sweetness of foods may cancel out the sweetness of the wine. Additionally, sweetness can also diminish the bitterness or acidity of a wine.
• Texture – the texture of a food is a great way to decide which wine to get. Food textures may be light or heavy and require an equally textured wine. The more adventurous consumers might try a contrast of textures for a unique experience.

SPICED NUT FLAVOURS: