Pour wines that are at least as sweet as the cookies: a Moscato d'Asti for sugar cookies and shortbread, a tawny Port for gingerbread and anything with nuts or toffee, and a late-harvest Riesling for fruit and lemon bars. A dry wine next to a sweet cookie tastes sour and thin, which is the one mistake to avoid. Small pours of two or three styles, most around $12 to $30 a bottle, cover a whole cookie table.
A holiday cookie swap or dessert night is a grazing party. People try a bit of everything, so you're matching a spread, not a single plate. Pick wines for the main cookie families and let guests mix and match.
What are the best wines for a cookie and dessert night?
Moscato d'Asti for sugar cookies and shortbread, $12 to $20
Lightly sweet, gently fizzy and low in alcohol, Moscato d'Asti tastes of peach and orange blossom, and it suits buttery cookies, frosted cut-outs and fruit without overwhelming them. Its low alcohol also makes it easy to sip late in the evening. Saracco Moscato d'Asti is a widely available example.
Tawny Port for gingerbread, pecan and toffee, $20 to $35
Tawny Port has nutty, caramel and dried-fig flavors that echo brown sugar, molasses and toasted nuts, so it's the natural match for gingerbread, snickerdoodles, pecan sandies and anything with toffee. Our guide to Portuguese dessert wines explains tawny, ruby and Madeira.
Late-harvest Riesling for fruit and citrus, $12 to $25
Sweet but lifted by bright acidity, late-harvest Riesling keeps lemon bars, linzer cookies, jam thumbprints and fruit tarts tasting fresh. Chateau Ste. Michelle Harvest Select Riesling is an easy-to-find sweet version.
Brachetto d'Acqui or ruby Port for chocolate, $15 to $25
Chocolate is the hardest pairing on the table, since its bitterness flattens most wines. A sweet, red sparkling Brachetto works with milk chocolate and berries, and a ruby Port stands up to dark chocolate brownies. For a closer match by cacao percentage, see our guide to wine with chocolate, and for a fondue pot, our chocolate fondue pairing guide.
Cream sherry for oatmeal raisin and spiced cookies, $12 to $20
Cream sherry is sweet, nutty and raisiny, which makes it a quiet star with oatmeal raisin, molasses cookies and spice cake. Harveys Bristol Cream is easy to find in most US stores.
If they like X, try Y
- If they only drink dry wine, steer them to the least sweet treats, like shortbread, biscotti or a cheese board, and pour a dry sparkling wine there. Our dry vs sweet wine guide explains why sweetness matters so much here.
- If they love red wine, offer the ruby Port or Brachetto rather than a dry red, which turns bitter next to sugar.
- If they like coffee drinks, tawny Port or cream sherry has the same roasted, caramel feel.
- If they think they don't like sweet wine, start with the Moscato d'Asti. It's light and fresh rather than syrupy. Our guide to a good sweet wine has more gentle options.
- If they don't drink, set out sparkling cider or hot spiced cider so they can toast too.
How do I set up a wine and cookie night?
Group the cookies into three or four families, such as buttery, spiced, fruity and chocolate, and put one wine beside each. Pour small tastes of two or three ounces, since dessert wines are rich. Chill the Moscato, Riesling and Brachetto, and serve Port and sherry slightly cool. Half bottles of 375ml are common for dessert wines and are plenty for tasting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What wine goes with sugar cookies?
Moscato d'Asti is the easiest match, since its light sweetness and fizz suit butter and frosting without overpowering them. A demi-sec sparkling wine or a late-harvest Riesling also works.
What wine goes with gingerbread?
Tawny Port is the classic choice, because its nutty, caramel flavors meet the molasses and spice. Cream sherry is a less expensive alternative with a similar feel.
Can you drink red wine with cookies?
A dry red usually tastes bitter and sour next to sweet cookies, so it's best avoided. Sweet reds are the exception, such as ruby Port with chocolate or Brachetto d'Acqui with berry cookies.
How much dessert wine do I need?
Plan on two or three small pours per person across the evening. A 375ml half bottle gives about six two-ounce pours, so one half bottle of each style covers a group of six to eight for tasting.
Does dessert wine go bad once it's opened?
Fortified wines like Port and sherry keep for several weeks after opening if you recork them. Moscato d'Asti and Brachetto are best within a day or two, using a sparkling-wine stopper.
