Bold Wines to Go With Coffee-Spiked Recipes

Coffee might not be the absolute hardest pairing out there, but it is gunning for artichoke’s crown. The trick is to try to get a handle on how it’s being used: in the savoury recipes, it’s a bold addition to an already-bold dish… I’ll buy you a cup if you can guess what sort of wine we’ll want (hint: bold). But in the desserts, the coffee is helping to cut the richness (normally the wine’s job), so you can be a little more free with your choices.

Black Hills Estate Ipso Facto 2021 ($60)

This atypical blend from winemaker Ross Wise is 54 percent syrah and 46 percent cabernet sauvignon, and it shies away from nothing and nobody. It’s a near-perfect foil for the first recipe: the spicy, smoky syrah dances with the boldness of the coffee while the cab saddles up to the beef like an old friend.

Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva 2016 ($33)

The carrots and fish aren’t quite as bold, but they’re no shrinking violets either. So we’re still looking for some structure but perhaps with a notch or two down in body. This amazingly priced bottle of rioja from Marques de Riscal has ripe fruit but plenty of cedar and worn-in leather notes that, when paired with coffee, channel an old west trail ride vibe—but with much better food.

Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux 2020 ($63)

The outlook for sweet wines is… not good. But that means you can access truly world-class wines at a fraction of the cost of their dry brethren. Take this bottle from the legendary Domaine Huet—it has a lot of residual sugar, yes, but also a tremendous amount of acidity, making it supremely balanced and a formidable match for the coffee-infused doughnuts on offer.

Find all the buzz-worthy coffee-infused recipes here.