What to drink with Pancakes
See our suggestions for wines to drink with pancakes, and including an alternative suggestion from master sommelier Matthieu Longuère, of Le Cordon Bleu London school.
Quick Guide
| Pancake type | Wine style |
|---|---|
| Sugar & Lemon | Moscato d’Asti or Prosecco |
| Cheese and ham | Gavi di Gavi, Muscadet or Pinot Blanc |
| Chocolate | Recioto Valpolicella, Banyuls, or try Barolo Chinato |
| Rhubarb and cream | Loire Chenin Blanc, Off-dry Riesling – Or perhaps Normandy cider |
Pancakes are all about the filling. What you decide to top, fill or wrap your pancakes with dictates what you should be drinking whilst you wolf them down. Here’s a selection of some of the more popular toppings you might decide on.
Best all-rounders:
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The best all-rounder – a serious quality cider
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Also try Loire Chenin Blanc or off-dry Riesling
Fruit filling
Matthieu Longuère MS, of Le Cordon Bleu London, had pre-selected a cider.
‘Finding a pairing for this dish is a no brainer, pancakes are known as crêpes in France,’ he said.
‘In crêperies all around the world the accompaniment is invariably cider. Here the pancakes are paired with tangy seasonal rhubarb and soothed by a good dollop of clotted cream. This unique dry cider is bursting with fresh apple flavour and really very refreshing, the balance more related to wine than your average cider.
‘Although it is not a sweet cider, it is so ripe and fruity that is not going to clash with the compote and its crisp acidity will refresh the palate in between bites. Sydre is made from 20 different varieties of hand-picked cider apple, sweet, bitter or sour, grown on schist soil. The apples are grated and left to ferment for up to 6 months. It is a true vintage cider and can be kept for several years after the harvest. A real Grand Cru!’
The vintage dated cider was dry, but the appley sweetness brought to life the Rhubarb, yet the acidity cleansed the palate of pancake, fooling you into thinking you could both consume more cider and pancake.
A wine alternative to this serious cider might be a Loire Chenin Blanc or a off-dry Riesling from Germany.
Sydre Argelette, Eric Bordelet, Chateau de Hauteville, Normandie, France 2014
Sugar and Lemon
A very popular topping for your pancakes. Simple, sweet with citrus acid. A light, slightly sweet yet refreshing Moscato d’Asti would wash these down well, a Prosecco would work or if you can find it, Clairette de Die. If wine is not an option, put a bottle of Limoncello in the fridge.
Savoury cheese and ham
Again, reaching for the cider would be a wonderful match with this savoury pancake; or if you fancy a glass of wine, Pinot Blanc, Muscadet or Gavi di Gavi are all great options.
Chocolate sauce
You cannot beat a sweet red like Recioto Valpolicella or a red Banyuls to bring to life chocolate. But if you can’t dig these out, a really fruity, new world red with low tannin could also work.
Salmon
It has so be a Champagne method sparkling wine, to cut through the batter mix and bring the salmon to life.
This article was originally published in 2017, following a pancake masterclass with Tom Brown at Le Cordon Bleu London and the school’s Matthieu Longuère MS.
