Pumpkin & Wine

Whether you require a companion for delicately flavoured wild pumpkins: In the cellars of the German winemakers, a parade of fantastic wines is ready to give a brilliant performance on your table. And Wines of Germany has a few simple guidelines for you to follow – to avoid even the slightest hints of disharmony creeping into these alliances.

Facts

  • 90 %

    water content

  • 29,14

    calories per 100 gram

  • 200

    pumpkin varieties are suitable for consumption

White wines with pumpkin dishes

The subtle flavours of pumpkins, often reminiscent of nuts or young beets, are mild and suited to a wide variety of dishes: Delicate soups; heartily seasoned, exquisite vegetable side dishes – and even extraordinary roasted salads with lemon peel and balsamic vinegar. Delicately fruity Pinot Blanc and slightly mature Silvaner are the best companions for pumpkin as a main dish. The flavours of these culinary partners complement each other well. As a side dish alongside meat, a heartily seasoned pumpkin, such as the expressive Hokkaido, is an ideal companion for light red wines like Portugieser or fresh Trollinger. They are suitable playmates for the pumpkin’s subtle fruity flavours but also form a delicious alliance with heartier dishes.

When roasted, pumpkins develop pronounced flavours that are slightly reminiscent of edible chestnuts. In this guise, they go very well with expressive red wines such as Dornfelder or Lemberger.

In desserts, pumpkins show off their sweet side. However, there are suitable wine companions for this manifestation as well. Pumpkin pie with caramelized nuts pairs delightfully with a noble-sweet Riesling Beerenauslese. And for another true culinary epiphany this autumn: Try slightly fruity pumpkin pastry with a mild Riesling Auslese.

Pumpkin Varieties

Pumpkin side dishes, prepared with the orange-coloured classic varieties, love to seduce gently. The pumpkin flavours are quite delicate, restrained and easily dominated by the more expressive wine varieties. Consequently, delicate flavours are in high demand. Silvaner, Rivaner and Chasselas from Baden are perfect companions for lightly seasoned pumpkin side dishes. The flavours of the light-yellow butternut also enjoy being drenched in a delicate Pinot Gris with its harmonious nutty-buttery aromas. Pinot Gris also makes for a delightful alliance with white pumpkins and their flavours reminiscent of young beets. Those are also well rounded off by classic Rieslings.

Sweet and sour pumpkin preserves are a popular variation and a real challenge for a wine companion. A semi-dry Riesling or Gewürztraminer is the perfect partner for this potpourri dominated by acidity and sweetness. And even venturing a combination with a mild Riesling Spätlese can be a delectable choice.

Pumpkin desserts offer a wide variety of flavours and are exceptionally flexible. Try slightly fruity pumpkin pastry on an afternoon, with a mild and fruity wine such as Riesling Auslese as the companion of choice. Or tickle your taste buds with the opulence of pumpkin cake prepared with almonds and caramelized nuts, which prefers a wine companion that is its equal in seductive sweetness with spicy aromas. Pair it with a delicate Riesling Beerenauslese and indulge yourself with a true culinary highlight.

Can pumpkin be prepared sweet?

Yes! Whether as a cake, dessert casserole or sweetly preserved and paired with Riesling cream - pumpkin is a real all-rounder even in its sweet version. Sweet and sweet wines, such as Spät- or Auslesen, are recommended for these dishes.

More recipe ideas

Light and fluffy: cashew coconut mousse with passion fruit Cashew coconut mousse with passion fruit

An airy cashew coconut mousse with passion fruit

  • 400g Cashewkerne
  • 400ml Haferdrink
  • 6EL Agavendicksaft
  • 6EL Kokosflocken
  • 4 Passionsfrüchte
  • 1 Prise Vanille

Place the cashews in a container and add enough water to cover the cashews sufficiently. Place the cashews in the fridge to soak overnight.

(With a high-performance blender, 3-4 hours is also sufficient.)

 

Drain the water and place the cashews in the blender with the oat milk, agave syrup and coconut flakes. Add the vanilla and blend until the mousse is creamy and no longer contains any chunks.

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<p>Divide the mousse between four glasses. Halve the passion fruit, scrape out the flesh with a teaspoon and place on top of the mousse. Decorate with coconut flakes.

  • Pinot Blanc (süß & edelsüß)
  • Riesling (süß & edelsüß)

with dry sparkling wine Sparkling wine and lime dessert

with dry sparkling wine

  • 300ml Winzersekt
  • 4 Limetten
  • 100g Zucker
  • 30g Speisestärke
  • 100g Butterkekse
  • 50g ungesalzene Butter
  • 2 Eiweiße
  • 50g grieschicher Joghurt
  • 150g Schlagsahne

Pour the sparkling wine and sugar into a pan. Chill the remaining sparkling wine. Wash 1 lime with hot water and finely grate the zest. Halve the lime and 2 others, squeeze out the juice and mix with the cornflour. Pour everything into the pan and bring to the boil briefly. Remove the pan from the heat and chill the cream in the fridge.

 

Fill the shortbread biscuits into a freezer bag, crush with a rolling pin and place in a bowl. Melt the butter in a pan, pour over the crumbled shortbread biscuits, add a pinch of salt and mix well. Leave to cool briefly, divide half into large wine glasses and press down firmly.

 

Cut the lime into slices. Beat the egg whites with salt until stiff. Stir the yoghurt into the chilled champagne and lime cream. Whip the cream until stiff and fold into the cooled cream, one after the other, together with the beaten egg whites. Spread half over wine glasses, add another layer of shortbread biscuits and finish with a layer of cream. Garnish with lime slices and pour in the remaining sparkling wine. Toast and enjoy!

  • Riesling (trocken)
  • Pinot Blanc (trocken)

with shrimps Pumpkin soup

with shrimps

  • 1 kleiner Hokkaido-Kürbis
  • 1 Zwiebel
  • 5 cm Ingwer
  • 2 EL Butter
  • 750 ml Gemüsebrühe
  • 300 ml Kokosmilch
  • 12 mittelgroße Shrimps
  • 2 EL Olivenöl
  • Eine Prise Salz & Pfeffer

Peel and dice the pumpkin, onion and ginger and sauté in the butter.

 

Deglaze with the vegetable stock and sauté for about 15 to 20 minutes until soft.

 

Sauté the shrimps in a little olive oil and leave to cook over a low heat for a few minutes. Place on wooden skewers and keep warm in aluminium foil.

 

When the vegetables have been steamed until soft, blend finely with a hand blender. Stir in the coconut milk and season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Serve the soup in large cups and garnish with the shrimp skewers.

 

Freshly baked white bread goes well with this.

  • Muskateller (halbtrocken & feinherb)
  • Federweißer (brut nature)

with herb crust Roast turkey

with herb crust

  • 600 Gramm Putenbrust am Stücke
  • 0,25 Liter Weißwein
  • 0,25 Liter Gemüsebrühe
  • 4 ganze Tomaten
  • 4 Scheiben Toastbrot
  • 2 ganze Eier
  • 2 Stück Zwiebeln
  • 75 Gramm geriebener Emmentaler
  • 1 Stange Porree
  • 1 Bund Schnittlauch
  • 1 EL Olivenöl
  • nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer

Wash the meat, pat dry and cut a deep pocket lengthways. Crumble the toast. Wash and chop the herbs, peel and dice the onions.

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<p>Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat). Place the bread, herbs, onions, cheese and eggs in a bowl, mix thoroughly and season. Stuff 2/3 of this mixture into the turkey breast. Pin the opening with wooden skewers and tie up crosswise with kitchen twine. Place the roast in a roasting tin and brush with oil.

 

Roast in the preheated oven for approx. 1 hour. Gradually pour in the white wine and vegetable stock.

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<p>Clean and wash the vegetables. Cut the leek into pieces and add to the roast with the whole tomatoes after 30 minutes.

 

About 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time, spread the remaining third of the herb mixture over the roast and finish cooking.

 

Arrange on plates with the vegetables and serve. Serve with rice.

  • Pinot Gris (trocken)
  • Chardonnay (trocken)