Three Great Wines for Specific Soup Selections

With the fall season upon us, I suspect that we’ll be eating more soups at mealtime as we begin to move indoors. When you do, remember to consider a nice wine to accompany the soup and help maximize your enjoyment of this great food/wine combination.

Pairing wine with soup is relatively easy if you remember to keep things simple by using a lightly seasoned soup stock as the basis for making a wine selection. Today we’ll look at three basic soup stocks and a specific wine that work well with each one.

For creamy soups and bisques, a wine that is high is acidity makes a great choice. I recommend the Edmonds Winery 2007 Sauvignon Blanc (about $14 at The Vines). This newer, Woodinville-based winery has produced a lovely white wine, with citrus flavors up front that are tempered by a touch of stone fruit and melon. The mildly crisp finish also suggests a slightly savory quality.

If the soup has a high acid content, such as a tomato-based stock, a medium-bodied red wine that’s also high in acidity should work nicely. Try the Damana 5 2006 Tinto Fino (about $18) from Spain’s Ribera del Duero region. Made from 100 percent Tempranillo, it’s got plenty of bright cherry flavors and a smoky, spicy finish that make it ideal to pair with gazpacho. The wine is currently available at the Fairhaven Market Haggen and can also be ordered through other local wine shops and grocers.

For beef stock and heartier soups and stews a good, sturdy red wine is a must. The San Juan Vineyards 2005 Syrah (about $20) makes an excellent choice because it’s intense and compact with black currant and plum flavors to start, followed by a bit of coffee and dark chocolate on the finish. San Juan Vineyards wines are well distributed throughout the greater Bellingham area.