Nuts About Wine: Your Tasty Guide To Pairing Nuts With Wine

Remember when party nuts used to be peanuts out of a can? Nuts have evolved to become a parade of flavors and varieties … just like the world of wine. There’s an array choices to delight everyone. Cashews. Almonds. Hazelnuts. Those of us who love nuts have a wonderful variety to choose from.  We love pairing nuts with wine. And here is even better news – each has its own favorite wine pairing.

Go Nuts With Wine

Salty or sweet, dry-roasted or glazed, candied or spicy, whatever you are nuts about, nuts are a crunchy delight. Here are some nuts with wine pairings to try:

• Almonds love a sparkling wine. The density of the almond meets the effervescence of the bubbly, and they live happily ever after (in your memory, at least).
• If you’re in Oregon wine country where hazelnuts rule, try a handful with a glass of Chardonnay. Oregon winemakers have made huge strides with this varietal in the past few years. Hazelnuts have such a distinctive aroma and flavor, and they’re a good match with a crisp Chard.
• Toasted nuts are delicious and made even more so when you uncork a rich red, like a Cab, Merlot, Syrah or Zinfandel. Any wine that expresses nutty or toasty flavors will be a hit with toasted nuts.
• Walnuts love a bold red, but  are too heavy on the palate to pair with Rose or whites.
• Cashews, those rich, fat nuts you’ll always find at a party, cuddle up nicely to Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. One’s lean, the other isn’t, opposites attract and you’re on your way to a tasty blend of flavors.
• Pecans are made for Pinot Noir. Their delicate flavors match the Noble Grape beautifully.

Winemaker Recommended Pairings

Two of our favorite winemakers shared their favorite ways to pair nuts with wine.

• Bill Easton, Winemaker and Founder of Terre Rouge & Easton Wines in Amador County in the Sierra Foothills says “Roasted almonds  with whites or fruitier, low-in-tannin reds that balance the high tannin in the nuts. Have fun exploring nuts with Spanish Sherry, or a perhaps a drier-styled amontillado. And nuts should always be fresh!
• Doug Margerum, Winemaker and Founder of Margerum Wines in Santa Barbara says “For salty nuts I like Sparkling wine or Prosecco. Walnuts and pecans (especially roasted or candied) pair well with Port or fortified sweet wines. Pistachios are great with light, dry whites. With spicy nuts, I’ll pour fruity, slightly sweet wines like Rieslings and wines from Alsace or Austria.”

Check out the Epicurious Visual Guide to Nuts for more options on what to pair with your favorite wine.

What’s your favorite wine with nuts pairing? What do you drink with pistachios? Peanuts? Brazil nuts? We love to hear from our wine club customers!

Need more ideas?

Don’t miss all of our food and wine pairing tips.

Need to stock up and start experimenting?  Our online wine store is loaded with handcrafted award-winning wines, each up to 50% off normal winery prices.  And every bottle featured in our wine club is backed by our Love It Guarantee.

Do you love learning about wine? Join the wine club!

Since 1990, it’s been our wine club’s mission to help artisan wineries share their small-batch wines with wine enthusiasts everywhere. At The California Wine Club we happen to think these wines simply taste better than the mass-produced wines that dominate store shelves.

We visit the wineries, meet the families and winemakers behind the wines and then invite them to share their favorite wines with our wine club members. Every wine featured in our wine of the month club comes from a real-working winery.

Come join our adventure!