Rich, creamy, and indulgent: we can all agree that mac and cheese is a quintessential comfort food. But what is the best wine pairing for mac and cheese? The authorities cannot seem to settle on an answer. Recommendations include off-dry Riesling, Pinot Noir, Lambrusco, Chablis, Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, Cotes du Rhone… the list goes on.
We decided to put two of the top recommendations to the test: off-dry Riesling versus Chablis. Which wine would pair best with mac and cheese? Read on to find out.
The Test:
- The Mac: We cooked up a classic mac and cheese recipe using sharp white cheddar, milk, butter, flour, and a small amount of mozzarella mixed in for stretchiness.
- The Riesling: the Franz Hirtzberger Steinterrassen – Riesling Federspiel is sourced from ripe grapes grown on steep, sloping vineyards in Austria’s Wachau wine region. It has textured minerality with the slightest hint of effervescence, lime zest acidity, and a beautiful bouquet of jasmine, honeycomb, citrus, and stone fruit. It is a rich golden hue in the glass.
- The Chablis: the Domaines Brocard Sainte Céline Chablis 2020 exudes all of the characteristics of its terroir. Lithe and lean, it offers flinty minerality, piercing acidity, and plenty of fresh lemon. It is a pale straw hue in the glass.
The Winner:
Off-dry Riesling is our new favorite wine to pair with mac and cheese.
Why? Mac and cheese is a very creamy, mild dish. When it meets Riesling, an aromatic grape with a wide bouquet of floral, fruit, and herbal notes, magic happens. In the Franz Hirtzberger Steinterrassen Riesling Federspiel, jasmine, honeysuckle, and stone fruit flavors give a new dimension to the mac and cheese. Its aromatics are delicate, but the silky cheese sauce is gentle enough to let them shine. Off-dry Riesling’s touch of sweetness is the perfect counterpart to the saltiness of cheese.
Chablis is still an excellent wine pairing for mac and cheese. Like Riesling, it has the requisite acidity and minerality to cut through the richness of the dish. However, unlike Riesling, Chablis is steely and lean, a product of its limestone-chalk soil. While there are some exceptions, the predominant aromatic in Chablis is lemon or citrus, with far less floral or spice notes than Riesling. Its flinty, saline profile felt more appropriate for a plate of oysters. If you are having a crab or lobster mac and cheese, Chablis might make sense. But without the more saline qualities of seafood, Chablis felt a little too linear and dry against the mac and cheese.
Wine Recommendations
While Austrian Federspiel Riesling offers the perfect fragrant, floral profile and sweetness to go with mac and cheese, it can be hard to find. A German Spätlese or Feinherb Riesling will offer a very similar profile of crisp acidity, tingling minerality, and slight sweetness. While U.S. Riesling spans a very large range of styles, off-dry versions are also available from California, New York, and Washington.
Rate this pairing! Let us know if you’ve tried mac and cheese with off-dry Riesling, and your thoughts below. Or, to explore more comfort food and wine pairings, check out our guide here.