Wine & Sweet Treats

Christmas dessert: Soaked orange cake with spiced oranges

With the combination of pastry and noble sweet wine you can experience many a pleasurable surprise!

Facts

  • Christmas biscuits

    Gingerbread, Christmas stollen, fruit bread, cinnamon stars, speculoos or vanilla crescents

  • 0.375 litre

    is the size of the small slender bottles that contain the precious Beerenauslese (BA), Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) and Icewine

Wine and baked Christmas treats

The Advent time offers a large selection of lovingly created cookies that harmonize very well with Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese as well as ice wines and bring forth completely new taste experiences.

When choosing the right wine, it is important that it does not merely accentuate the qualities of the pastry, but also adds as broad a range of aromas of its own as possible.

Take Stollen, for instance: The candied or dried fruit it contains, such as orange, lemon or raisins, make for a great alliance with noble sweet Riesling Beerenauslese, because this wine also contains nuances of dried fruit.

And even a noble sweet Riesling still shows a lively acidity, bringing a subtle finesse to the pastry it’s served with.

Vanillekipferl, traditional vanilla crescent shaped biscuits, are a true classic among the Christmas cookies. They get richer in elegant, fragrant nuances when accompanied by a mild Pinot Blanc Auslese. This taste experience will be further intensified if a pinch of salt is used in the making of the sweet pastry. The salt is a real attractant for aromas and also has a positive role to play in the combination with wine.

Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and ice wine are precious. That is why these varieties are mostly offered in small, 375 ml bottles. Just enough to experience magic culinary moments in an intimate setting. The aromas of these wines develop best when they are served not too well chilled and in small white wine glasses with bigger bowls.

Nothing will get in the way of a sweet alliance if you pay heed to the following suggestions:

The right wine companion for each treat

Buttergebäck

A classic and a favourite with purists, it is popular in all shapes. The subtle aromas of butter and caramel nuances make for an excellent combination with mild to sweet Pinot Blanc or Silvaner Auslese. The fruitiness of the wine adds an elegant note to the combination. If the pastry is very fluffy, a semi-dry to mild Winzersekt makes for an extraordinary and pleasant surprise as well.

Spritz cookies

Varieties such as traditional Spritzgebäck and nut macaroons are prepared with aromatic roasted hazelnuts. A suitable wine may be concentrated and powerful, in order to be the equal of the aromatic pastry. Well-aged Riesling Beerenauslese is an excellent choice.

Coconut macaroons

are masterpieces created from egg white, sugar and grated coconut. Their straightforward aroma goes very well with mild Pinot Blanc Auslese or noble sweet Beerenauslese. The elegant and sometimes nutty aroma of the wine combines beautifully with the coconut, making for a delicious alliance.

Spice cake

contains cocoa and typical warming Christmas spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. A Gewürztraminer Auslese is a harmonious companion in the full sense of the word. Full-bodied, mild to sweet red wines are interesting partners as well.

Cinnamon stars

are less sweet than many people assume. Their taste is defined by almonds and cinnamon and the decorative icing brings a sweet finish to the mix. Cinnamon stars like to be accompanied by noble sweet Pinot Gris Beerenauslese, because this wine accentuates the pastry’s tangy nuances.

Gingerbread

is a full symphony of aromas all on its own. All varieties, from honey cake to Pfefferkuchen, have their typical intense interplay of aromas in common, generated by ingredients such as cloves, coriander, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon – always with a touch of honey. A noble sweet Gewürztraminer or Scheurebe Beerenauslese corresponds perfectly with this honey nuance. The wines reflect the abundant spiciness and add a few interesting notes of their own.

Stollen

comes in several traditional varieties. Typical ingredients are candied orange and lemon peel as well as raisins – often previously pickled in rum – and grated almonds. This Christmas delicacy forms a wonderful alliance with noble sweet Riesling Beerenauslese, which also contains notes of dried fruit. However, a Marzipanstollen requires a wine companion with extra-spicy notes. This is a moment when a Gewürztraminer Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese can display all its strengths.

Fruit cake

is sheer abundance. It’s the ultimate Christmas delicacy, prepared with ingredients like dried fruit – such as apricots, prunes, figs and nuts – seasoned with brandy and garnished with maraschino cherries. A Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese beautifully reflects these typical aromas of dried fruit and harmonizes well with the fruit cake’s sweetness.

At what time of the year is the term "wine" most frequently googled?

Just before the Christmas holidays, the search queries for "wine" on Google reliably skyrocket every year. By the way: The search queries for the topic "fasting" multiply just as reliably every year shortly after Christmas.

More recipe ideas

with bulgur Cabbage stew

with bulgur

  • 200 Gramm Zwiebeln
  • 1 ganze Knoblauchzehe
  • 800 Gramm Spitzkohl
  • 200 Gramm Möhren
  • 400 Gramm festk. Kartoffeln
  • 1 EL Kümmelsaat
  • 1,5 Liter Gemüsefond
  • 5 EL Olivenöl
  • 2 EL Tomatenmark
  • 2 EL edelsüßes Paprikapulver
  • 3 TL Honig
  • nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer
  • 120 Gramm grobe Bulgur
  • 1 Bund Petersilie
  • 4 Stiele Minze
  • 1 ganze Zitrone
  • 2 ganze Äpfel
  • 3 EL Obstessig

Finely dice the onions and garlic. Clean, wash and quarter the cabbage, remove the stalk and roughly chop the cabbage quarters. Peel the carrots, halve lengthways and cut into approx. 2 cm wide pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut into approx. 2.5 cm pieces. Fry the carrots in a pan without fat and set aside.

 

Heat the vegetable stock in a small pan. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pan, sauté the cabbage in it for 10-15 minutes over a high heat until dark brown and remove from the pan.

 

Add the remaining oil to the pan. Fry the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the potatoes and muesli and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomato purée and paprika powder and fry while stirring. Add the cabbage, honey and caraway and pour in the hot vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the bulgur 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

 

Quarter the apples, remove the seeds, cut into approx. 1 cm cubes and add 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Pluck the herbs and chop medium-fine. Wash and dry the lemon, finely grate the zest and mix with the herbs. Flavour the stew with vinegar, salt and pepper and serve sprinkled with the herbs.

 

Tip: The pointed cabbage must be roasted really strongly and dark so that the aromas come out well.

  • Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir (trocken)
  • Trollinger (trocken)

with pumpkin and white wine sauce Pasta with pumpkin and white wine sauce

with pumpkin and white wine sauce

  • 750 Gramm Butternut-Kürbis(se)
  • 3 kleine Zwiebeln
  • 2 Zehen Knoblauch
  • 1 Becher Crème fraîche
  • 250 ml trockener Weißwein
  • 500 ml Gemüsebrühe
  • 25 Gramm Parmesan oder ähnlicher Hartkäse
  • 400 Gramm Spaghetti oder andere Nudeln
  • nach Geschmack Salz, Pfeffer, Zucker
  • 4 EL Kürbiskerne, evtl. gehackt
  • nach Belieben Muskat, Thymian

Sauté the garlic and onions until translucent. Dice the butternut squash and add, season with pepper and sugar. When the cubes are still firm, pour in the white wine and vegetable stock. Continue cooking until the squash is firm to the bite.

 

In the meantime, cook and drain the pasta.

 

Add the thyme, nutmeg, salt and crème fraîche to the boiling pumpkin, bring to the boil and thicken. Stir in the parmesan and season to taste. You can also crush some diced pumpkin to make the sauce sweeter.

 

Arrange the pasta on plates and top with the pumpkin sauce.

Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

  • Scheurebe (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 wild duck breast, porcini mushrooms and glazed chestnuts Herb salad

with wild duck breast, porcini mushrooms and glazed chestnuts

  • 150 Gramm Wildkräuter
  • 4 EL Olivenöl
  • 2 EL Balsamessig
  • 8 Stück Wildentenbrüste (a 100g)
  • 2 EL Sonnenblumenöl
  • 4 EL Honig
  • 1 EL Thymian
  • 200 Gramm Steinpilze
  • 20 gekochte Maronen
  • 100 ml Apfelsaft
  • 2 El Zucker
  • nach Belieben Salz & Pfeffer

Clean, wash and pat dry the wild herbs. Marinate with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

 

Preheat the oven to 220°C top and bottom heat. Season the wild duck breasts with salt and pepper, sear on the meat side in a pan with sunflower oil and cook in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes on the skin side. Remove the duck breast, brush the skin side with honey and thyme and roast for another 2 minutes on a high heat until crispy.

 

Clean the porcini mushrooms and cut into slices. Fry in a pan in oil on both sides, remove and keep warm. Caramelise the sugar in the pan, deglaze with the apple juice and simmer until the caramel has dissolved. Add the chestnuts and add a little more apple juice if necessary.

  • Pinot Blanc (trocken)
  • Gutedel (trocken)