What wine goes with cookies? Pour a wine that is at least as sweet as the cookie. Moscato, sweet sparkling wine and fortified dessert wine are the easy matches. A dry wine tastes thin and sour next to sugar, so a dry red or a dry sparkling wine rarely suits the cookie tray. For gingerbread and ginger cookies, choose a sweet Moscato. For shortbread and snickerdoodles, choose a lightly sweet sparkling wine; our Sparkling Almond adds toasted almond notes. For chocolate chip cookies, choose a fortified dessert wine.
The same sweet-with-sweet rule runs through our wine and chocolate pairing guide. Below, we apply it to the holiday cookie tray, with two of our recipes.
Why do dry wines taste sour with cookies?
Sugar coats your palate, so the next sip of a drier wine loses its fruit and its acidity stands out. A wine with as much sweetness as the cookie keeps its fruit, so the two taste balanced.
Then match the weight and echo a flavor. A light sugar cookie suits a light, bubbly wine, and a rich chocolate cookie suits a fuller one. Toasted almond meets cinnamon sugar, and citrus meets ginger.
For the rest of the meal, see our food and wine pairing chart.
What wine goes with each holiday cookie?
Find your cookie, then read across. Any wine in the same style will work.
| Cookie | Wine style | Why it works | ONEHOPE bottle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar cookies | Sweet sparkling | Gentle sweetness and white peach suit a plain, buttery cookie | Sparkling Moscato |
| Gingerbread and ginger molasses cookies | Sweet white | Orange blossom and citrus zest meet ginger, molasses and spice | 2021 Vintner Moscato |
| Snickerdoodles | Lightly sweet sparkling | Toasted almond meets cinnamon sugar | Sparkling Almond |
| Butter shortbread | Lightly sweet sparkling | Bubbles lift the butter, and toasted almond suits the bake | Sparkling Almond |
| Almond cookies and glazed Italian-style cookies | Lightly sweet sparkling | Toasted almond echoes the nuts and the sweet glaze | Sparkling Almond |
| Jam thumbprints | Sweet sparkling | White peach and mandarin follow the fruit filling | Sparkling Moscato |
| Chocolate chip cookies with walnuts | Fortified dessert wine | Toffee and dark plum meet brown sugar and dark chocolate | Reserve Dessert Wine |
| Chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies | Fortified dessert wine | Sweetness and body stand up to chocolate and peanut butter | Reserve Dessert Wine |
ONEHOPE cookie recipes with wine pairings
Chocolate chip cookies with walnuts and sea salt
Wine pairing: Reserve Dessert Wine, a California wine fortified with grape spirits in a style that originates from Portugal. Its toffee and dark plum meet the brown sugar and dark chocolate. Our tasting notes pair it with dark chocolate truffles, and a chocolate chip cookie works for the same reason.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups packed brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped dark chocolate
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and beat for 30 seconds more, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, add them to the wet ingredients a little at a time.
- Off the mixer, fold in the chocolate chips, chopped dark chocolate and walnuts with a rubber spatula.
- Scoop the dough into 2-ounce (¼ cup) balls, six to a half-sheet pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Sprinkle each cookie with a small pinch of flaky sea salt, then cool on a wire rack.
Chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies
Wine pairing: Reserve Dessert Wine. Its sweetness and body stand up to chocolate and peanut butter, and its toffee and sweet cherry round out the nutty bake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips, for dipping
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl, stir the peanut butter, sugar and egg together with a rubber spatula.
- Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet with an ice cream scoop. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth.
- Spread the chocolate on a plate, dip the base of each cookie and set it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Chill for 30 minutes so the chocolate sets.
How do you host a cookie and wine evening?
A cookie and wine evening suits a December weekend with friends. Ask each guest to bring one batch.
- Open three bottles to cover the tray. One Moscato, one sweet sparkling wine and one dessert wine handle nearly every cookie in the chart above.
- Chill the sparkling wine well. Serve it at 40 to 50°F, and the dessert wine slightly cool, at about 55 to 60°F. Our wine serving temperature guide has the timings.
- Use small glasses for the dessert wine. It is rich, so small pours suit slow sipping.
- Set out water and a non-alcoholic option for guests who aren't drinking.
For a full tasting format, see how to host a wine tasting at home. Find more bottles in our sparkling wine collection.
Can you give cookies and wine as a hostess gift?
Yes. Homemade cookies with a matching bottle make a personal thank-you. Pair ginger cookies with 2021 Vintner Moscato, or a tin of butter shortbread with Sparkling Almond. Add a card that names the pairing.
For a simple towel wrap, see our holiday gift wrapping ideas. For more thank-you bottles, see our hostess gift ideas.
Sending the bottle instead? Recipients must be 21 or over, and an adult signature is required at delivery. See how to send wine as a gift.
Planning the whole meal? Our Christmas dinner wine pairings cover ham, roast beef and dessert. ONEHOPE wine also gives back.
Frequently asked questions
What wine goes with Christmas cookies?
A wine at least as sweet as the cookies. For a mixed tray, open a Moscato, a sweet sparkling wine such as Sparkling Almond and a fortified dessert wine.
What wine goes with gingerbread?
A sweet, aromatic white such as 2021 Vintner Moscato. Its orange blossom and citrus zest suit ginger, molasses and warm spice.
What wine goes with chocolate chip cookies?
A fortified dessert wine such as Reserve Dessert Wine. Its toffee, dark plum and sweet cherry notes meet brown sugar and chocolate.
What wine goes with sugar cookies?
A light, sweet sparkling wine such as Sparkling Moscato. Its citrus blossom, juicy white peach and playful bubbles suit a plain, buttery cookie.
Can you pair red wine with cookies?
A sweet red dessert wine, yes. Our dessert wine guide explains the styles. Reserve Dessert Wine is fortified and sweet, so it works with chocolate cookies. Most dry reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, taste sour or bitter next to a sweet cookie.
