German Wines for German Lebkuchen – A Perfect Pairing (2024)
Our new friends over at Wines of Germany Canada suggested the perfect pairings for the German Christmas treats that Gingerbread World brings to Canada. Lebkuchen and Marzipan are traditional German delicacies that are probably most often enjoyed with coffee or tea – as a dessert or sweeter snack at a break. But we’ve been seeing images on the web of Lebkuchen and Marzipan with wines. And given how much we love wine (and Lebkuchen and Marzipan) we thought we had to investigate. And who better to talk to about pairings for German foods than wine makers from Germany!
We had been following germanwine_ca on Instagram over the summer and were intrigued with posts about the German Wine Princess visiting southern Ontario. So we asked the question on Instagram:
“What would the German Wine Princess pair with Lebkuchen? And with Marzipan? Of course these are good with coffee but we are thinking they would also be good with German wines!”
And the Wine Princess - Anna Hochdoerfer - responded:
“German wines are perfect to pair with food, so there are also some wines you can drink with Lebkuchen or Marzipan. I would recommend a Gewürztraminer which has a very spicy flavour and goes well with the Lebkuchen. Also a red wine like a Dornfelder or a Pinot would fit perfectly. Marzipan is very sweet so I would like a dry Riesling with it! I hope you like my suggestions and: Zum Wohl!”
So out to the Wine Shop I went to buy some bottles to try. But I was a little surprisedbythe small selection of German wines available. Although a few Gewürztraminers were available the drier, spicier one was sold out. So, being the wine connoisseur that I am…I picked the bottles with the best labels and went home to taste test.
And I was not disappointed! Although I so enjoy Lebkuchen or Marzipan with coffee (always an Americano) or tea (always Earl Grey!) I realized new tastes in the cookies and confections when I paired them with the wines.
Lebkuchen is a traditional German cookie enjoyed at Christmas. Recipes have been handed down for centuries since first created in the 1300’s. The soft, gingerbread-like pastry is made with Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Almonds, Candied Orange and Lemon Peel, Honey, Flour, Sugar, Eggs and Marzipan. Added to these are someexotic spices from all around the world: cinnamon, cloves, anise, cardamom, coriander, ginger and mace.
Marzipan is made of almonds – ground and then roasted and combined with sugar and rose water, The recipe originated in the Middle East but over the centuries has become a German institution. Marzipan is often shaped into loaves and smothered in German chocolate. Flavors may be added to the Marzipan such as orange or pineapple or even liqueur flavorings.
So both Lebkuchen and Marzipan are natural pairings for wine.
I tend to enjoy dry and less sweet wines and I actually tend toward red wines (currently enjoying a lot of Malbecs). So it was good to try something totally different – white wines and slightly sweeter wines-and to learn a little more about them.
Wines of Germany suggests that when paired with sweeter foods a sweet wine will lose some of its sweetness but maintain its texture while a dry wine will lose its fruit and become sharp, focusedonacidity andalcohol. A sweet wine will taste drier when combined with a dish containing sweetness.Gewürztraminer and Riesling both fit the bill.Gewürztraminer is a type of grape – just like Merlot or Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. But where you can find a zillion options of those other wines in stores ranging from a few bucks to very expensive, Gewürztraminers are harder to find because less of that type of grape are grown. So it’s a little more rare, its sweeter and it works well with spicy foods – and Lebkuchen, with its array of spices, falls nicely into that category.
Riesling is a grape most well suited to Germany's cooler climate (cooler thn most grape growing regions). German Wines of Canada puts it this way: "To reach its full potential, Riesling needs extra days of sun; ripening is very late, usually not until the latter half of October. Riesling produces elegant wines of rich character with an incomparable fragrance and taste, often reminiscent of peaches, or when young, apples." There seemed to be more options of Rieslings available in the Wine Shop - so I bought 2!
I can't wait to try the various types of Lebkuchen and Marzipan with my new wines. Now we just have to wait for the fresh pastries and confections to arrive in Canada from Germany in late October. Then we can crack open our beautiful white boxes of Lebkuchen Schmidt andcolorfulpackages of Niederegger Marzipan at the same time as we crack open our bottles ofGewürztraminer and Riesling.
I would recommend a Gewürztraminer which has a very spicy flavour and goes well with the Lebkuchen. Also a red wine like a Dornfelder or a Pinot would fit perfectly. Marzipan
Marzipan
Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal (ground almonds), sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. Marzipan. Plain marzipan being rolled flat. Alternative names. Marzapane, marchpane.
Like any other pastry, Lebkuchen is perfect with coffee or tea. But because of their spicy taste and nutty texture you may want to try them with a glass of wine and some grapes or figs - read about the wine pairing suggestions made by our friends at German Wines Canada.
If you have only one wine to push for a German meal in your restaurant or bar, we recommend a Riesling, because many consider it to be the most food-friendly of the white wines. Alternatives could be a Pinot Gris, which typically has low alcohol and a fair amount of acidity, or a slightly tannic Pinot Noir.
Wine Pairing: With Sauerbraten, opt for a Riesling from Germany to complement the sweet and sour notes. For roast goose, a medium to full-bodied red wine such as Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) or a rich Riesling can be an excellent choice.
White varieties of Riesling, Silvaner and Grauburgunder dominate. The best vineyards are in an area of steep sloping vineyards around Nierstein and produce some of the most full-bodied Rieslings in all of Germany.
Lebkuchen (pronounced leyb-koo-kuh n) is a centuries-old German spiced treat traditionally baked during the winter holiday season. While lebkuchen is often translated to English as gingerbread, it's not exactly what most Americans envision when they think of gingerbread.
Pfeffernusse and lebkuchen are both similarly flavored with honey and lots of warm baking spices but pfeffernusse are almost always small, rounded cookies coated with a powdered sugar glaze, while lebkuchen may be shaped like regular cookies or cut in bars and are generally glazed with chocolate.
Riesling is the flagship wine of Germany and constitutes more than one-fifth of all wine varieties grown in the country. Riesling has a long history dating back to the 15th century, and originates in Germany's Rhine Valley.
Prädikatswein: This subcategory of Qualitätswein includes wines with special attributes. Prädikatswein are particularly sweet because they use fully ripe or late-harvest grapes, creating a range of wines from the relatively dry Kabinett to the sweetest Trockenbeerenauslese.
Glühwein (roughly translated as "smouldering-wine", from the temperature the wine is heated to) is popular in German-speaking countries, the Germany-bordering Alsace region of France, and to a lesser extent Russia. It is a traditional beverage offered during the Christmas holidays.
While Riesling is certainly the poster child for German white wine, there are many other grapes grown throughout the country, including Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder) and Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder) and even Chardonnay.
Beer, of course. All the beer that is served at the Oktoberfest comes from famous Munich breweries, such as Paulaner and Augustiner. If you don't like one of Germany's favorite beverages, you can also get all kinds of other drinks, including non-alcoholic beverages, wine and cider.
It's widely accepted that Riesling was born in the Rhine River region and is native to Germany. The first written mention of the grape was found near the Rheingau on March 13, 1435, recorded in a cellar log of Count Katzenelnbogen in Rüsselsheim.
German-style sausages such as frankfurters and bratwurst
A light lager, pilsner or Kolsch for frankfurters, a slightly sweeter beer like a helles or golden lager for grilled brats. Try a crisp, dry Riesling if you don't like beer.
Glühwein, as mulled wine is known in Germany, is essentially red wine heated with spices, lemon and sugar - generally cinnamon and cloves are used in all recipes, with some adding aniseed or vanilla. A variation on the mulled wine is the Feuerzangenbowle.
Among the different options available, try the log with Muscat-Beaume-de-Venise, white Banyuls, Sauternes, Coteaux du Layon, Quarts de Chaume or sweet wine from Alsace, such as Vendange Tardive or Sélection de Grais Nobles. These sweet wines match the richness of the composition of the traditional Yule log!
Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
Lebkuchen and Marzipan are traditional German delicacies that are probably most often enjoyed with coffee or tea – as a dessert or sweeter snack at a break. But we’ve been seeing images on the web of Lebkuchen and Marzipan with wines. And given how much we love wine (and Lebkuchen and Marzipan) we thought we had to investigate. And who better to talk to about pairings for German foods than wine makers from Germany!
And the Wine Princess - Anna Hochdoerfer - responded:
So out to the Wine Shop I went to buy some bottles to try. But I was a little surprisedbythe small selection of German wines available. Although a few Gewürztraminers were available the drier, spicier one was sold out. So, being the wine connoisseur that I am…I picked the bottles with the best labels and went home to taste test.
Wines of Germany suggests that when paired with sweeter foods a sweet wine will lose some of its sweetness but maintain its texture while a dry wine will lose its fruit and become sharp, focusedonacidity andalcohol. A sweet wine will taste drier when combined with a dish containing sweetness.Gewürztraminer and Riesling both fit the bill.Gewürztraminer is a type of grape – just like Merlot or Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. But where you can find a zillion options of those other wines in stores ranging from a few bucks to very expensive, Gewürztraminers are harder to find because less of that type of grape are grown. So it’s a little more rare, its sweeter and it works well with spicy foods – and Lebkuchen, with its array of spices, falls nicely into that category.