National Doughnut Day is finally upon us and you bet your bottom dollar we’re going to be celebrating at the VinePair office. While it is generally expected that you should pair a good cup of coffee with a doughnut, expectations are for people who don’t like Thai food and think that Times New Roman is the ONLY font acceptable for use.
TAKE IT FROM US, ? BE LIKE THEM.
Throw the expectations out the freaking window (literally throw your cup of coffee out the damn window) and get your corkscrew instead. We’ve matched classic doughnuts with their perfect vino. And before your boss even asks, yes, it’s acceptable to drink wine in the morning if there’s a doughnut attached to it. Obvi.
Original Plain – Chardonnay
Old faithful doughnut, meet old faithful wine. The old fashioned doughnut is light and fluffy, but still rich and decadent. A lightly oaked or even an unoaked Chardonnay has extremely similar qualities but it’s the tropical notes that are going to take the plain doughnut to the next level.
Glazed – Brut Champagne
The one. The only. The classically glazed doughnut is a go-to for the morning masses. Because it’s very sweet, we’ve opted for a Brut Champagne that will still carry a touch of sugar, but won’t overpower the doughnut.
Chocolate Frosted – Merlot
What makes this doughnut so special is the fact that it’s a lighter base doughnut with an supremely divine chocolate topping. Take advantage of the sweet-cocoa flavors with a Merlot. It’s easy to drink (just like these damn doughnuts are easy to eat) and has enough spicy berry notes to tango with the chocolate.
Strawberry Frosted – Rosé
In my humble opinion, the strawberry frosted doughnut is the greatest doughnut to ever exist. Not only is it ICONIC, it’s sweet, fruity, and comes with sprinkles. WHO doesn’t like sprinkles? When you think pink with your doughnuts you need to think pink with the wine. A Rosé (Grenache is probably your best bet) is dry enough to not compete with the sugary frosting while delivering the floral notes this doughnut needs. It’s also Instagram ready, so what else could you ask for?
Vanilla Frosted – Dry Riesling
The vanilla frosted is the old-fashioned doughnut taken to the -nth degree of sweetness. Your ideal wine pairing here is something that has flavors to harmoniously blend with the vanilla but can still stand up to the excess sugar. A dry Riesling is just what the doughnut doctor ordered.
Jelly – Malbec
Depending on the doughnut shop you go to, the jelly-filled doughnut can be sweet, savory, or even somewhere in-between. Generally, you can expect a jelly doughnut to consist of red berry filling, thus we recommend a Malbec. Malbec has a lot of the darker berry flavors that can transform your plain raspberry filled doughnut into a mixed-berry masterpiece.
Sour Cream – Prosecco
An extremely underappreciated doughnut, the sour cream doughnut is irresistibly intoxicating. It’s on the heavier side so it needs a moderate amount of bubbles to cut through the fat. We recommend a Prosecco here because it has just enough sweetness to blend with the doughnut.
Chocolate Cake – Cabernet Sauvignon
A doughnut as deep and dark as the chocolate cake doughnut needs a wine that can stand by its side. Cabernet Sauvignon is this dougnut’s full-bodied match made in heaven because its dark fruity flavors can handle the death-by-chocolate-drama that the chocolate cake doughnut brings to the table.
Blueberry – Pinot Grigio
Another doughnut that isn’t as appreciated, the blueberry doughnut is actually set up to perfectly pair with a Pinot Grigio. The abundant lemon notes of the Pinot Grigio are the best complement to the heavy blueberry flavors from the blueberry doughnut.
Apple Fritter/Cider Doughnut – Chenin Blanc
Putting the debate of what actually makes a doughnut aside, the apple fritter is a favorite to many. Who can blame them, it’s sweet, slightly tart, and even has a subtle cinnamon spice. It’s basically fall in a doughnut and there’s only one wine we’re thinking of that would complement this perfectly – Chenin Blanc. A Chenin Blanc is the long lost twin of the apple fritter with its tropical flavors, splash of apple notes, and tang.
Boston Cream – Extra-Brut Champagne
Last but certainly not least, the Boston cream doughnut is as full-flavored as they come. This handheld version of the Boston cream pie is so heavenly rich, it needs a dry wine full of bubbles to slice right through the pastry cream. Thankfully, an Extra-Brut Champagne is up for the job.
