The Pie Chart: Wines to Pair with Your Holiday Desserts

By the time dessert hits the table, most holiday hosts have stopped thinking about wine. The bottles opened with dinner are still scattered around – a half-empty Cab, a stray Pinot, maybe a Chardonnay – and then the pies arrive. It is tradition but can be chaos. The acidity’s off, the sweetness is wrong, and the meal that started beautifully ends on a muddled note.

Pairing wine with dessert isn’t about ceremony – it’s about closure. You’ve already done the hard part: the roasting, the toasting, the seating chart that mostly worked. Now it’s just about making sure the last bite and last sip belong to the same story.

Here’s how to keep your holiday finale in tune.

Pumpkin Pie + Chardonnay

Pumpkin pie is the holiday default – creamy, spiced, and deceptively rich. It needs a wine with backbone but not attitude. A balanced Chardonnay, preferably something coastal and mineral-driven, mirrors the pie’s baked-apple warmth without doubling down on the heaviness. Chablis or a restrained Sonoma Coast bottle will land perfectly between spice and silk.

We recommend: Sandhi Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay (2022) – Bright and nervy with pear and citrus over subtle oak, this bottling keeps pumpkin pie from feeling heavy. Elegant, focused, and quietly luxurious.

Key Lime Pie + Sparkling Brut Rosé

Not every holiday table stays in November mode; some of us reach for citrus. Key lime pie keeps the menu from collapsing under brown sugar and butter, and a sparkling brut rosé does the same for the wine. Dry, bright, and edged with strawberry, it cuts through the filling like a palate reset – festive without trying too hard.

We recommend: Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut Rosé – A California classic built from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, it brings delicate red fruit and a fine bead of acidity that flatters citrus desserts. Fresh but serious.

Lemon Meringue Pie + Champagne

Champagne works because it does what no still wine can: handle sugar and acid simultaneously. The lemon curd finds a partner in the wine’s citrus and mineral tension, while the brioche note underneath ties into the crust. Blanc de Blancs keeps things sharp; a fuller blend leans into comfort. Either way, it’s the glass that makes dessert feel like celebration instead of obligation.

We recommend: Domaine Collin Crémant de Limoux – Technically not Champagne, but the texture and refinement are strikingly close for the price. Lively, elegant, and clean, with enough yeast and lemon zest to echo meringue.

Blueberry Pie + Cabernet Sauvignon

Blueberry pie doesn’t scream holiday, but it often shows up anyway – that wild-card aunt energy. Cabernet Sauvignon gives it structure and a little restraint. The tannin reins in the syrupy filling, and the dark-fruit depth makes the pie taste more grown-up. It’s the move for anyone who’s over pumpkin but not quite ready for port.

We recommend: Gail Wines “Doris” Cabernet Sauvignon (2022) – Plush yet restrained, with black currant, cedar, and soft spice. The freshness of Sonoma fruit keeps the pairing polished rather than brooding.

Pecan Pie + Oloroso Sherry

Pecan pie is pure December: sweet, smoky, and over the top. Oloroso sherry is the only thing that keeps pace. Aged oxidatively in Jerez, it carries walnut, molasses, and burnt-sugar notes that echo the filling without collapsing under it. Serve slightly cool, and it’ll taste like the room looks – warm light, low chatter, everything humming.

We recommend: Lustau “Solera Gran Reserva” Emperatriz Eugenia Very Rare Oloroso Sherry – Deep, nutty, and richly textured, with layers of smoky wood, bitter chocolate, and dried fruit. One small pour transforms pecan pie into something transcendent.

Apple Pie + Sauternes

Apple pie is nostalgia baked in butter, and Sauternes meets it where memory lives. The botrytized blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc gives honey, spice, and dried apricot – all the comfort flavors of the season, just distilled. It’s the wine equivalent of sitting near the fireplace instead of in it.

We recommend: Far Niente “Dolce” – Napa’s answer to Sauternes, this late-harvest blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc carries golden honey, dried apricot, and a whisper of vanilla bean. It mirrors apple pie’s warmth while adding a note of quiet opulence to the finish.

Peanut Butter Pie + Madeira

Every family has a wild-card dessert, and this is the one. Madeira – especially the richer Bual or Malvasia styles – leans into it. Roasted nut, toffee, and cocoa mirror the pie’s depth, while the acidity keeps it from turning into a sugar spiral. It’s the pour you bring out when the serious bottles are gone and the stories are getting better.

We recommend: Malmsey Rainwater Madeira – Smooth and nutty with notes of caramel, burnt sugar, and dried fruit. Its gentle sweetness and high-toned acidity balance the pie’s richness perfectly, making each bite feel lighter than it should.

Cherry Pie + Beaujolais

If the table needs a lift after the gravy marathon, Beaujolais does it. Gamay’s red-fruit brightness and floral lift make cherry pie taste sharper, fresher, and less like a leftover. Serve it slightly chilled; it’ll carry you cleanly from dessert to whatever comes after – cards, conversation, one more slice.

We recommend: Michel Guignier Les Améthystes Beaujolais – Light-bodied with crushed cherry, violet, and granite-driven minerality. It’s an unpretentious, perfectly tuned finish for a long meal.

Final Thought

Holiday meals are often built on tradition, but being creative and finding new wine pairings can often be enjoyable.

Have a wonderful holiday season!