Soup and Sherry is a long-standing tradition in England, so we thought this fall as we prepare to celebrate the upcoming harvest that we’d go back to our Anglo-Saxon roots and honor this tradition.
Because Ann Vogel’s Pumpkin Soup recipe calls for cinnamon, brown sugar and a little spice with the cayenne pepper, we recommend Amontillado Sherry to sip along side this fall soup.
Sherries, which we’ve written about before, originated in Spain. They come in all different flavors and styles.
But the Sherry we’re recommending has caramel flavors that are capped off with a hint of nuttiness that we know will go well with this sweet and spicy soup.
Initially we contemplated recommending a Riesling for this recipe, but once we reviewed the ingredient list we decided because of the soup’s weight a Riesling might get lost in the shuffle.
In the end we decided the Amontillado Sherry would hold up better because the weight of the Sherry matches the weight of the soup.
However, if you prefer Riesling go ahead and give it a try. How much cayenne pepper you opt to shake into your soup will determine how sweet you should go with your Riesling selection.
If you like a lot of kick, then we recommend a sweeter Riesling because the sweetness will put out the flames. If you only plan to use a hint of cayenne, then stick with a drier Riesling. (Remember when looking at the wine label the higher the alcohol percentage, the drier the wine).
Look to your local grocer to find either of these affordable styles of wine.
