French Onion Soup Wine Pairing – Everything You Need To Know

When it comes to soup based dishes, there is truly nothing more delicious than a bowl of bold, flavorful, French onion.

It makes a great start for a whole host of different dishes, and also works well as a lunchtime meal in the afternoon. Whatever your reasons for whipping up a bowl of this delicious soup, we’ve got some great wine pairings you can read through. 

French Onion Soup Wine Pairing - Everything You Need To Know

When it comes to choosing the perfect wine to accompany your French onion soup, the main thing you want to do is make sure to choose one that’s light in body, and with plenty of bright flavor notes, so that it can counterbalance the rich and bold nature of the soup. 

In addition to all of this, you’re also going to want to choose a wine that has appropriate acidity levels, as this will help to cut through the garlicky and cheesy flavors demonstrated by the croutons in the meal.

Thankfully, if you’re in need of some inspiration, we’ve compiled this handy guide below. We’ll take you through some of the very best wine pairing options, which are sure to tantalize your taste buds.

To find out more, simply keep reading, as we take a closer look. 

1. Beaujolais Nouveau 

The first wine we’re going to be taking a look at is beaujolais nouveau. You truly can’t go wrong with this wine, and it works so well as a pairing option for so many different French dishes.

The reason why this wine is perfect for pairing with your French onion soup is because it’s incredibly fruity, super drinkable, and with a very light body. 

The light body will stop the flavors of the wine from contending with the soup dish. The fruity flavors of the wine also help to counterbalance the richer, bolder flavors displayed by the meal. 

Beaujolais wine is available for purchase all over the world, and there is a ‘Beaujolais Nouveau Day’ that’s celebrated each year. Perhaps the perfect way to celebrate this delicious wine is with an indulgent bowl of French onion soup. 

2. Pinot Noir 

The next wine that we’re going to be pairing your French onion soup with is pinot noir. Pinot noir is high in acidity, and as we mentioned before, this is great for breaking down the carbohydrates in the bread, and also the rich flavors displayed by the garlic and cheese. 

Pinot noir is widely regarded as a highly drinkable red wine, and it’s packed full of fruity flavors, such as strawberry, cherry, and raspberry.

The best thing about the fruity notes in this wine, is that they work so well to complement the caramelized onions in the soup. The sweetness of both of these items go really well together. 

3. Viogner

The next wine that we’re going to be pairing French onion soup with is viognier. Many of you reading this list won’t have heard of this wine before, and it’s particularly popular in the region Condrieu, in France, where it’s produced most ubiquitously. 

Some of you will actually be surprised to discover that viognier is a full bodied wine. As we mentioned earlier, it’s important to choose light bodied wines to pair with your French onion soup, as they help to counterbalance the richer flavors. 

But, viognier is the exception to the rule. This is because the actual flavors displayed by the wine are bursting with vigor and acidity, enough to break down the bolder flavors of the soup.

This wine is renowned for having bold, sweet apricot flavors, which intermingle beautifully with French onion soup. 

This wine is perfect if you want an incredibly refreshing option to pair with your French onion soup. 

4. Chardonnay 

If you’re looking for a white wine option to pair with your French onion soup, then we think that chardonnay would work really well.

For those of you who have had the pleasure of indulging in a glass of chardonnay before, you’ll already know that it’s a super light, fruity, and uncomplicated wine that works really well with all manner of rich dishes. 

It has toasty, buttery flavors that taste somewhat like tropical fruit. If you purchase an oaked bottle, then you’ll really be able to taste the vanilla notes too. These really work well when paired with the cheese and croutons in the soup.

In addition to all this, because the wine is super acidic, this will help to break through some of the bolder, onion based flavor, and give you a super delicious dining experience. 

5. Dolcetto 

The next wine that we’re going to be taking a closer look at in terms of pairings is dolcetto.

For those of you who haven’t heard of this wine before, we urge you to try it, as it’s absolutely delicious. Produced in Italy, this wine has a super deep, and fruity flavor that works really well with the simple, light body that it displays. 

The grape is very sweet, but it has a really delicious dryness to it too. 

Final Thoughts

To sum up, there are a whole host of different wine pairings that you can make with French onion soup. Simply take a look at our list above, and choose some of your favorites to try today.

Thank you for reading this article, and we hope we’ve provided you with some inspiration. 

Sarah Perez
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