Pairing Wine With Soup

As the leaves start to change and temperatures drop, soups step into the spotlight as a mealtime favorite. These warm bowls of goodness are just what you need on a cold winter night, and what better way to elevate your delicious, comforting soup than by pairing it with the perfect wine.

Best Red Wine to Pair with Soup

Consider the ingredients when selecting a wine. Hearty, beef broth-based soups will go great with a dry, red wine.

• Cabernet Sauvignon: dry, full-bodied, and full of tannins.
• Pinot Noir: food-friendly, light, sweet red, high on aromatics.
• Sangiovese: savory, rustic, with cherry flavor and notes of tomato.
• Bordeaux: bold, dry red with high tannins and medium acidity.

Best White Wine to Pair with Soup

Lighter soups or those with a bit of spice will pair nicely with a crisp white.

• Chardonnay: dry, buttery, and oaky with moderate tannins and acidity.
• Albariño: Dry with high acidity and notes of lemon and grapefruit.
• Sauvignon Blanc: fruity, dry, highly acidic, and herbaceous.
• Riesling: Light and crisp, highly acidic, and food-friendly.

Pairing Wine with Various Soup

Wine With Chicken Noodle Soup

This perennial classic can go red or white. If you are choosing red, try a Pinot Noir. For white, try a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.

Wine With Potato Soup

Potato soup and all its iterations are rich, creamy, and hearty. A slightly sweet Riesling offers a nice balance, or you could go with a fruit-forward red, like Grenache.

Wine With French Onion Soup

Try a Chardonnay or Beaujolais with this classic French comfort soup.

Wine With Lobster Bisque

This rich, decadent soup will go amazingly well with champagne or a dry sparkling wine.

Wine With Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup tends to have some kick, so a Sauvignon Blanc or Grüner Veltliner complements the broth and provides some balance to the heat.

Wine With Chili

A Pinot Noir or Rioja has low tannins that won’t exacerbate the heat if you prefer red, otherwise, try a Rosé or Riesling.

Wine With Beef Stew

This hearty, rustic dish needs a bold red. Try a Cabernet or Bordeaux.

Wine With Ramen

Riesling is a great complement to this complex soup, especially if it has some spice.

Wine With New England Clam Chowder

Similar to Lobster Bisque, this chowder needs acid to cut through the richness. Champagne or Sauvignon Blanc will make a lovely pairing.

Wine With Italian Wedding

Pair an Italian Primitivo with this Italian soup. The rustic qualities in both are a perfect match.

Wine With Tomato Soup

A light, simple tomato soup will be great with an Albariño. For something richer, try a Rioja.

Wine With Mushroom Soup

A light mushroom soup will go well with Chardonnay. If it’s darker with a more meaty, mushroom flavor, choose Pinot Noir.

Wine With Broccoli Soup

Chardonnay is a great pairing to elevate this creamy, classic soup.

Wine With Minestrone

This light, vegetable-forward soup will go great with an Albariño.

Wine With Vegetable Soup

A light, herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc will complement the vegetables and light broth of this soup.

Wine With Pozole

This classic Mexican soup (sometimes called Red Posole) is great with a medium-bodied red, like a Malbec, or a Riesling.

Wine With Pho

Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent choice for Pho regardless of the ingredients. You could also go with an unoaked Chardonnay.