There's nothing quite like pulling into the parking lot of a supermarket and spying a table of Girl Scouts selling tableful of cookies in front of the market doors. It's like Christmas in springtime - never have we welcomed solicitation more. Especially when we have red wine and white wine waiting at home. Yes, the pairings don't stop at wine and cheese. Girl Scout Cookies have such distinct flavors - think lemon, coconut, mint - that they make for the perfect accompaniment to a variety of different wines. Happy hour just got a whole lot sweeter with our Girl Scout Cookies Wine Pairing guide.
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Our Girl Scout Cookies Wine Pairing Guide
1. Sparkling Wine + Savannah Smiles
Tropical aromas and flavors of green apple and luscious pear that are present in a lot of California sparkling wines makes them the perfect accompaniment to a citrusy cookie like the Savannah Smiles.
ONEHOPE makes a Sparkling brut that gives back, too. Every bottle provides a meal to children fighting huger in the US. The effervescence of the brut combined with the lemon in Savannah Smiles creates an unforgettable zesty finish that is perfectly refreshing and sweet.
2. Malbec + Thin Mints
Thin Mints are both minty and refreshing, and velvety and luscious at the same time. The mint/cocoa combo begs for a big wine that can keep up with the mint flavors. An Argentinian Malbec is just the thing thanks to the soft tannins and robust fruit notes.
Opt for a full-bodied variety (look for one from Mendoza, Argentina) with a long finish to balance the finish on the cookie.
3. Chardonnay + Trefoils
Trefoils are essentially a shortbread cookie - meaning they are full of rich, buttery flavor. If you love wine, when you think of butter, you think of chardonnay, especially California chardonnay.
Rombauer Vineyards has been specializing in Chardonnay for years and their variety is a classic example of Napa Valley Chard. Rich and ripe with buttered toast flavors this wine will enhance your buttery cookie eating experience.
4. Rosé + Cranberry Crisps
These cranberry cookies are reminiscent of side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner. Slightly sweet with tart notes, the cranberries are ideal for paring with a bolder rose.
Light roses will be lost with the richness of the fat in the cookie, so look for roses from Bordeaux since those wines tend to feature a wide range of red fruit notes like cherries, raspberries, and yes, cranberries.
5. Sauvignon Blanc + Lemonades
There's nothing like a bright, fruit forward Sauvignon Blanc in the spring. California varietal will have a nose of fresh herbs and palate of tropical fruits like pineapple.
A wine like this is will come even more alive with a lemony, sweet and sour cookie like the Scout's Lemonade, which you can buy online here.
6. Sauternes + Samosa
This is as luscious as it gets. Sauternes is a Bordeaux sweet wine with deep, marmalade flavors. Sauternes have a high sugar content so they hold up to the sweetness of Samoas nicely.
Another option would be a Rioja that has been aged in oak. The oak will help to highlight the coconut flavors in the cookie.
7. Cabernet Sauvignon + Tagalongs
There is a reason peanut butter and jelly works so well. The same goes for the pairing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tagalongs. A great Cab Sauv will have aromas of coffee and cocoa and flavors of dark berries and rich cocoa.
The strong presence of those dark berries plus peanut butter that is prominent in Tagalongs make for an adult version of PB&J that put your childhood memories of this snack to shame.
8. Zinfandel + Do-Si-Dos
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Zinfandels are known for being jammy and full of rich, dark fruit. The presence of some spice on the wine makes it the perfect complement for a simple peanut butter cookie - without chocolate.
You could also swap out a Southern Italian Primativo for the same flavor profile.
This article was originally published on Feb 21, 2019.
