Pecan pie pairs best with sweeter fortified or dessert-styled wines such as Marsala, Vin Santo, Tawny Port, Oloroso Sherry and Muscat De Beumes De Venise.
Best Wine with Pecan Pie
Marsala & Pecan Pie Pairing
Marsala is a fortified wine featuring flavours of vanilla, toffee, figs, and caramel, making it a perfect match for the sweet and nutty flavours of pecan pie. Marsala ranges from a dry version to sweet, and with Pecan Pie, you’ll want a sweet Marsala as dry versions will end up tasting like water when pitted against the sweetness of the Pecan Pie.
Always ensure your Marsala is made in Sicily. There are so many knockoffs out there from other regions claiming to be Marsala that do come close to the quality and deliciousness of true Marsala. You’ll also want to serve your Marsala slightly chilled. How cold? Cellar temperature, which is 55 degrees Fahrenheit or 13 degrees Celsius. Anything colder will mute the Marsala’s nutty and rich flavours.
Vin Santo & Pecan Pie Pairing
Vin Santo is an ambered coloured Italian dessert wine that features flavours of butterscotch, toasted nuts, caramel, nutmeg, cinnamon, honey, and raisin. All of these flavours complement the nutty and caramelized pecan pie flavour.
Typically, Vin Santo is matched with Biscotti, where you dip your Biscotti into the Vin Santo. However, this rich and viscous desert wine loves anything nutty or sweet. Furthermore, if you’ve topped your pecan pie with a scoop of ice cream, the caramel, apricot, nut, raisin, vanilla, and spiced flavours of Vin Santo will hold up just fine.
Tawny Port & Pecan Pie Pairing
Tawny Port is a fortified wine with nutty, cherry, vanilla, coffee, brown sugar, chocolate and caramel flavours.
Tawny Port’s sweetness complements the sweetness of the pie, while its nutty notes enhance the nuttiness of the dessert. This pairing is perfect for those who prefer a more complex and loudly flavourful wine.
Oloroso Sherry & Pecan Pie Pairing
A sweet Oloroso Sherry is full of nut, raisin, walnut, fig, burnt sugar, caramel and vanilla flavours. Rich, round, silky and soft, Oloroso is a sexy companion to the Pecan Pie filling and the buttery crust.
I’d serve Oloroso Sherry with a slice of Pecan Pie that does not have a scoop of ice cream, as the ice cream is too much for this elegant wine. In addition, Ice Cream isn’t necessary when you have the amazing flavours of Oloroso Sherry accompanying your Pecan Pie.
Muscat De Beumes De Venise & Pecan Pie Pairing
Muscat de Beumes-de-Venise is a sweet and fortified wine full of honey, apricot, peach, vanilla, pear, and almond. Typically, you’d pair Muscat de Beumes de Venise with lighter desserts like berries and whipped cream, or a lighter chocolate mousse. However, Muscat de Beumes de Venise will work great with Pecan Pie that Ice Cream does not accompany, as Pecan Pie isn’t overly sweet like a rich chocolate cake, as the pie’s pecans and crust balance out the sweeter filling.
Muscat de Beumes de Venise is a perfect pairing with those who prefer a lighter and fruiter wine with their pecan pie. Its apricot and peach flavours complement the sweetness of pecan pie, while its acidity cuts through the richness of the dessert.