Wine with Cookies — My Picks for Wine & BAK’D Cookie Pairings
Since it’s International Women’s Day, I thought I’d write a blog post celebrating women-led businesses and the way to a woman’s heart — wine and cookies. If you know me well, you know I’m a Cookie Monster. Because I’m so passionate about all things tasty, I was so happy to have the opportunity to collaborate with BAK’D for this blog. BAK’D was founded by Jessica and Andy Nguyen, 2 siblings on a mission to bring comfort to people in their community during the COVID pandemic with freshly baked cookies. As well, I’m glad to be able to support a business started by a fellow SFU Beedie alumna (Jessica Nguyen) like myself. Let me point out that these aren’t just any cookies. These are JUMBO, ooey-gooey, “oh so delicious”, melt-in-your-mouth cookies — just how I like it!! When I got these cookies, I can’t say I was able to eat all of them in 1 night, but I can say that I had a very satisfying night by the fireplace trying my wines with these cookies. Get ready — if you have a big sweet tooth like me, reading about these wine and cookie pairings will make your cravings go cray cray!!
Gimme S’more Cookie & Lambrusco
The Gimme S’more cookie hits the spot with chocolate chips, 2 marshmallows in the center (the top one is blowtorched), and a graham cracker. The soft texture of the cookie and stickiness from the marshmallows goes perfectly with Lambrusco. Lambrusco is a sparkling red wine from Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy. This wine varietal carries fruit-forward notes of blackberry and cherry with hints of violet. As well, it has a medium acidity and soft tannins, making a delicious duo with the S’more cookie. (Don’t mind the photo of the partially-eaten cookie. I started eating the cookie before the photo because I couldn’t help myself.)
Caramel Macchiato Cookie & Late Harvest
Caramel Macchiatos are my go-to order at Starbucks, so trying the cookie version was a no-brainer. It’s sticky, dense, and rich; stuffed with coffee-infused dough, toffee chips, and topped with caramel drizzle. My pick for the wine pairing is Late Harvest (or other dessert white wines). This makes a dynamic duo because they have an equal amount of sweetness and carry similar textures. Late harvest is a dessert wine with a high viscosity, which gives it more of a thicker and sticky texture, matching the texture of the Caramel Macchiato cookie. As well, it carries notes of honey and vanilla which melds well with the coffee and caramel notes of the cookie. Be sure to choose a young, white, pale-colored Late Harvest for this pairing, preferably made from the Vidal grape.
The OG (Chocolate Chip) Cookie & Cabernet Sauvignon
This name is so fitting for such a classic cookie — stuffed with sweet chocolate chips and hardy walnuts, all meshed into a nutty batter. The OG cookie is definitely a necessity with any cookie order from BAK’D to make it complete. I love how the flavours of this cookie are subtle, yet so satisfying. Because this is not that sweet compared to the other cookies, I’d pair it with none other than a Cabernet Sauvignon. Cab Sauv is also an OG (in the wine world) with notes of dark red and black fruit, cedar, and spice with dry-hardy tannins and a full body. I found these characteristics complement the subtleness and hardiness of the OG on the palate. So remember, OGs always go best with OGs.
Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookie & Pinot Noir
Saving the best for last, the Red Velvet Cheesecake cookie came out to be the biggest surprise for me, as it was my favourite out of all the cookies. This cookie is firm on the outside with a fluffy, creamy inside, stuffed with cheesecake filling, and topped with white chocolate chips. Personally, I’d match this cookie with a Pinot Noir aged in American Oak because it contains red cherry, raspberry, and clove notes with vanilla and coconut undertones, which match nicely with the dense chocolate and creamy flavours of the cookie. If you’re looking for a dynamic duo wine-cookie pairing, this is one to try.
I’d like to give a big thank you to my friends at BAK’D for collaborating with me for this blog post and making the most delicious cookies I’ve ever had! If your business would like to be featured on Wineisseur, feel free to contact me.
Bon Appetit!
-Deanna
Originally published at https://www.wineisseur.ca on March 8, 2021.
