Pairing Wine With Mac & Cheese

Author Seema Pal Published 2-7-2023

Mac & Cheese is the ultimate comfort food that is enjoyed all over the world. It can range from the simple dish consisting of noodles and cheese sauce to an elevated version with vegetables, meat and toppings. Either way, why not pair a delicious wine with it to elevate your main course to a more special dining experience? 

Wine Characteristics To Pair With Mac & Cheese

Best Red Wine To Pair With Mac & Cheese

The red wines to choose when pairing with Mac & Cheese should be light to medium bodied so as to not overpower the main course. Choose one with light to medium tannins and body, with higher acid level to cleanse the palate of the rich cheese. Red wines with red fruit characteristics are preferable to play off the light creamy flavours of the mac & cheese. Give these ones a try:

Lambrusco

This interesting wine is actually a red sparkling wine from North-Eastern Italy. The fresh acidity will lighten this rich dish, while the bubbles will cut through the sauce. As many Lambrusco wines that are exported from Emilia-Romagna are sweet, look for a dry example as this will go best with the mac & cheese.

Pinot Noir

Whether you choose one from Burgundy or Australia, any Pinot Noir will work with mac & cheese. Being a cool or moderate climate grape, Pinot Noir typically has higher acidity. Like the Lambrusco, it will refresh the palate. Since the tanning levels are not high, it will not overwhelm the dish, but rather be an equal counterpart to it. The light to medium body will balance out the mouthfeel of the mac & cheese, making it a great choice. 

Gamay

Gamay is a fun red wine that is mostly produced in Beaujolais, France. It is famous for being fruit forward and easy drinking. However, you can find a range of styles from fresh and fruity to more serious Burgundian style from the Beaujolais Crus, such as Morgon. Any gamay in this range will work with mac & cheese. The tannins are light, which will not overpower the more delicate flavours of the cheese sauce. 

Grenache

Grenache is a medium bodied wine that has fresh red fruit flavours that will pair well with the mac & cheese so as to not overwhelm it. The lower tannin levels also will match well with the mild cheese sauce. A great selection is one that is fresh and fruit forward as to balance the simplicity of the main course. Grenache tends to be higher in alcohol, but with a dish such as mac & cheese, it will not overpower it.

Pinotage

This is a wine that is often overlooked as a wine pairing. Pinotage is a grape that is grown almost solely in South Africa, thus seen as its specialty. It mostly has red fruit flavours with medium tannin levels, with varying levels of acidity. Choose one that is made in a cooler climate, such as Walker Bay, which will allow for higher acidity in the grapes as they take longer to ripen. The higher acidity will refresh the palate after having a bite of the mouth-coating cheese sauce, while the tannins will give the pairing extra texture from the smooth creamy sauce. 

Best White Wine to Pair With Mac & Cheese

When it comes to white wine pairing, we have more versatility than red wines. The choices for the body can range from light to full, with a variety of fruit flavours. As long as the acidity is medium plus to high, most non-fortified white wines will work.

White Cava

This sparkling wine is a perfect combination with mac & cheese since the bubbles and the acidity both work together in clearing the palate of the rich sauce that coats the mouth. In addition, high acid wines have the ability to enhance the dish to elevate your dining experience. The apple and pear fresh fruit character will go well with the cheese dish (as apple and cheddar are known food pairings), and will make the pairing even more delicious together. 

Sancerre

This is a well known French white wine from the Loire River Valley made from Sauvignon Blanc. It is also high in acid, which for the same reasons described above pair very well with a rich dish like mac & cheese. Additionally, it has interesting herbaceous notes such as asparagus or fresh cut grass which will add complexity to the dish, especially if there is parsley or any type of herb used in the pasta sauce. 

Chablis

This famous French white wine made from Chardonnay is a crowd pleaser as it pairs beautifully with so many dishes. This is a region that is cool climate (sometimes bordering on cold) in northern France that produces refreshing white wines that are high acid, but also use malolactic conversion which converts sharper malic acid to softer lactic acid. This often gives creamy dairy-like notes such as yogurt or cottage cheese. These dairy notes will parallel the ones already in the cheese sauce, creating a perfect complement.

Dry Riesling

You can find dry Rieslings from all over the world. The most well known ones are from Clare Valley, Alsace, or various German regions. These wines are highly floral and have pronounced apple and lime characteristics, which will elevate the mac and cheese dish, making it even more delicious. As well, Riesling is known to have searing high acidity levels, which make it highly food friendly. 

Alsatian Pinot Gris

 This is a white wine that is also overlooked, but is quite interesting. White wines from Alsace have a richness to them despite being so northerly, and this richness will balance the richness of the sauce while still having sufficient acidity to cleanse the palate. These wines are known for white blossom, citrus and pear notes that will play off creamy flavours of the sauce. Be sure to choose a dry option as Alsace is a region that also produces off dry to sweet wines. 

Best Wine to Pair with Mac & Cheese

Red and white wines both pair well with this dish. Choose a red wine that is light to medium bodied so as to not overpower the delicacies of the mild cheese sauce. Sparkling or high acid wines will have palate cleansing abilities, creating balance with the rich-textured cheese sauce. Enjoy!

• Lambrusco
• Pinot Noir
• Gamay
• Grenache
• Sancerre
• Chablis
• White Cava