Impossible food wine pairings: butternut squash soup!

butternutsquashsoup.jpg

It’s really more of an autumnal dish but, hey, a reader just sent in this query: which wine would you pair with butternut squash soup? Post your thoughts in the comments below!

I like the soup to have the zip of ginger but yours can be as you like it. Michael Ruhlman would now doubt tell us it’s all about the stock used anyway.

21 Responses to “Impossible food wine pairings: butternut squash soup!”


  1. I would choose a white Burgundy, preferably Meursault.


  2. Actually tackled this very liquid last month. Two choices: Pierre Sparr 2002 Alsace Grand Cru Pinot Gris and Herman Story 205 Viognier (Santa Ynez). It was for a dinner for 13 and the “favorite” was a split. Going for richness in both cases, but (as often happens) some people perceived the P.G. as sweet.


  3. I have paired butternut squash puree, rather than soup. I think the soup goes all in how you season it. As a straight up sweet starchy creamy soup, it goes great with a Viognier or Gewurztraminer. However, if you at a little bit more sweetness, such as honey and nutmeg or roasted chestnuts, it pairs strangely well with some Italian whites that have a bit of nut characteristic underneath: Fontaleoni Vernaccia and Cascina degli Ulivi Gavi. If you push the soup more towards a spicy sweet end, like curry, then a Gruner Vetliner might be the best.


  4. Chardonnay


  5. Funny that you should be trying to match this dish today…Yesterday, I was reading a recipe for this same dish. The English wine critic Malcolm Gluck recommended an Australian Verdelho. I’d probably agree, but for some reason I am really leaning towards a Semillon Chardonnay. I think that the mix of toasty/nutty flavouring from the Semillon might really compliment the dish.


  6. Oh, this is your least impossible impossible wine pairing! Most definitely white, and probably a Pinot Gris or a very dry Riesling. In fact, I have some butternut squash soup in my fridge right now, and I think I’ll have to try this pairing tonight at dinner!


  7. Gruner Veltliner. The answer is always Gruner Veltliner. But then, I’m biased….


  8. Why not a Rhone Rose? A Domaine Ott paired beautifully with a similar pumpkin soup for Thanksgiving. The flavor profile and the acidity handles the soup’s creaminess and spice extremely well and cleans the palate to boot. Prehaps equally, the perceived nuttiness of the soup matches exquisitely with the light fruitiness of the wine.


  9. Any vegetable based soup (and most soups for that matter) goes perfectly with amontillado Sherry.


  10. Vintage Champagne. Preferably nothing before 1990. Not that I can always afford it, but I recently paired a 1985 Charles Heidsieck with a rum-spiced version finished with candied walnuts, fried sage and creme fraiche. The toffee and baked apple flavors of the champagne complimented the savory squash while the bubbles were still fresh enough to stand up to the rich texture.


  11. I actually had this one recently. I tackled it with the 2005 Texier Macon-Bussieres Tres Vieilles Vignes. I was afraid there wouldn’t be enough weight in the wine since it has pleasant acidity and minerality but it actually worked out great. 05 is such a great vintage…


  12. I would recommend the Tishbi Vineyards Dry Muscat 2005. Enjoy!


  13. Madiera works amazingly well with butternut squash soup. I tried it with Blandy’s Rainwater Madiera and it was a hit.


  14. I would like to hear your suggestions for a velvety pumpkin soup with a piece of seared foie gras on on top. The soup is not a spicy one but a bit of sweetness can be noticed. I am thinking of a Gewürztraminer (especially Trimbach’s Cuvee des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre) or some Alsatian Pinot Gris. I’m a bit afraid to pair the dish with any sweet wines because I feel that the sweetness of the soup might be overpowered by the wine, how do you feel about this? Any other suggestions ? Comments are highly appreciated.


  15. We are trying this dish with a Chardonnay/Viognier Blend from Cali. The Chard has been oak aged and is very buttery and I’m hoping the Viognier will add enough acid to make a nice pairing. Cheers!


  16. […] you’re looking for more traditional fare, we previously tried our hand at pairing wine with butternut squash soup. Permalink | Comments (0) | SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Fried butter: impossible food-wine […]


  17. My husband is insisting only a JMS Sauvignon Blanc 2008 will do!


  18. I’ve paired this soup with a Pumpkin infused wine… it was simply amazing!!!!


  19. I just was thinking of the nuttiness of the toasted seeds and if the soup isn’t to sweet or overly spiced it would work with this Butera, Sicilian chardonnay thatI have.IT has an amazing nuttiness with very dry pear accents. The acidity made it a match homerun!!! Happy turkey day


  20. We have paired a great curry pumpkin soup with an Argentine Torrontés. The combination of a slighty sweet but savory soup with a crisp dry white….with hints of tropical fruits, pear and citrus was perfect.


  21. […] Maybe something spicier. Looking it up, I even find “squash soup” listed under “impossible food wine pairings!” People generally go with an Alsatian wine like a Pinot Gris, which would certainly work. I […]


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