What to Drink with Your Hanukkah Nosh

• By WineBottleMag
• November 21, 2025
• Drink Hanukkah Nosh
• With 0 comments

For the Jewish people, Hanukkah is a time of celebrating light over darkness, symbolized by the lighting of the menorah every night for eight days each winter. The holiday commemorates when the Judean army (the Maccabees) took back their temple in Jerusalem from Greek invaders in 167 B.C. As one of the first acts to rededicate the temple, they lit its menorah, using oil that is said to have miraculously lasted eight days.

Thus, oil has also become a symbol of Hanukkah and various fried foods have become traditional to serve during the holiday. These include potato latkes, also known as potato pancakes, and sufganiyot, a type of jelly-filled doughnut.

In Rome, the historic Jewish community is known for its fried delicacies year-round, especially fried artichokes, known there as carciofi alla Giudia (“Giudia” being Italian for Jewish). But as Jewish cookbook author Leah Koenig writes, things there reach a fever-pitch around Hanukkah and foods are fried “with abandon.”

Fried foods aren’t the whole story. Other standout Jewish dishes commonly served for Hanukkah include brisket, kugel, challah, and rugelach. You’ll also find foil-covered chocolate coins, or gelt, around the holiday, which are used as a prize in the game of dreidel, where players take turns spinning a special top. Of course, all of these delicious dishes deserve to be served alongside a well-matched wine.

This year, the holiday begins at sundown on December 14 and ends on December 22. To help find the perfect pairings for the most common Hanukkah dishes, we asked industry pros about their favorite wines to serve during the holiday.

Potato Latkes with Sparkling Wine

There are several ways to make potato latkes, mostly depending on whether you shred or mash your potatoes, the amount of onions you add, what kind of oil you fry them in, and, of course, whether you serve them with sour cream or applesauce. But the gist of fried potato pancakes is always the same: a crisp texture and oil-fried flavor, which lends itself well to sparkling wine.

“Ideally Champagne because, well, it’s the holidays—anything bubbly will do, though,” says Rachel Jackson, partner of GERTIE and Gertrude’s in Brooklyn. “The effervescence of the wine with the crispiness of the fry is a perfect pairing and arguably two of the most fun textures in food and drink.”

Though, Jackson adds, if bubbles aren’t your thing, “a dry Riesling or something similarly high acid and slightly honeyed works well—especially if you’re an applesauce person.”

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Sweet Potato Latkes with French Chardonnay

A common variation on traditional potato latkes, sweet potato latkes have gained popularity in the last decade and often show up on Hanukkah tables alongside standard latkes. The flavor is sweeter here, and while a bubbly can still work, it’s also worth exploring wines that can stand up to the sugar.

Jon Macklem, general manager at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, suggests a Chardonnay from Burgundy’s Meursault region. “There’s not too much diacetyl [i.e. butter notes], but it’s something with weight to stand up to the caramelized sugars from the potatoes,” he explains.

Alternatively, John Slatter, sommelier at Aba and Ema restaurants in Chicago, suggests a different Chardonnay, this time from Chablis. “Chablis’ distinct mineral character can play well against the sweetness of the sweet potato latkes, and the balance of creamy texture and elevated acidity in the wine will make you want to go back for another bite,” he says.

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Fried Artichokes with Sherry

Yet again, sparkling wine would work well here given the dish’s fried nature, but to get creative, Jackson suggests a Sherry. “I am obsessed with Sherry and I think it’s a perfect pairing with artichokes. The nuttiness and savoriness in a Manzanilla or fino Sherry complements artichokes so well,” she explains. “Artichokes do crazy things to your palate and often makes things taste much sweeter than they should, so something that’s a little salty really works.”

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Sufganiyot (Jelly Doughnuts) with Slightly Sweet Sparkling Red

These fried bites of dough, typically filled with raspberry or strawberry jam, need a wine that can stand up to their oily sweetness. Jason Smith, a Master Sommelier and the Vice President of Global Strategy and Engagement at Constellation Brands—which includes Schrader Cellars, Double Diamond Wines, and To Kalon Vineyard Company—suggests a Brachetto d’Acqui or another slightly sweet sparkling red to pair with the doughnuts.

“The sweetness within these delicious jelly doughnuts requires a wine that is at least as sweet as the doughnuts themselves, otherwise the wine will taste overly acidic and out of balance,” he explains. “Brachetto d’Acqui wines from the Piedmont region of Italy are slightly sweet and gently effervescent, with ripe, red berry aromas and flavors that are an excellent complement to the jelly.”

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Milk Chocolate Gelt with Port

“Milk chocolate coins are fun and nostalgic,” says Emery Whalen, the co-owner of QED Hospitality, which includes the New Orleans establishments Jack Rose, Bayou Bar, and Hot Tin as well as Nashville’s Marsh House and L.A. Jackson. “A smooth ruby Port or even a slightly chilled Tawny Port complements their creamy sweetness.”

Macklem agrees, adding, “The sweet berry, nutty, and caramel notes of Port are delicious with chocolate.”

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Brisket with an Israeli Red Blend

Perhaps unsurprisingly for brisket, “I would go red here,” says Slatter, but he specifies a red blend from Israel, specifically the Golan Heights region, if possible. “Often a blend of French varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, these wines are not too heavy but still have enough body and tannins to stand up to brisket, and the inherent spice character of the wines makes a good match for a well-seasoned dish.”

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Kugel with Demi-Sec Cidre

Essentially a casserole, kugel has many variations, but the most famous is a sweet noodle casserole made with raisins, eggs, and cottage cheese. When prepared that way, you can think of it almost like a dessert in terms of pairings. “I’ve always favored sweet kugel. My mom made it best,” says Jamie Harrison Rubin, advanced sommelier and consulting wine director of Ambra Restaurant Group in Philadelphia. “It’s such a strange dish and falls so far outside of the norms for wine pairing.”

He thinks a demi-sec cidre from Normandy is the best match. “Dessert wine is too sweet and semi-dry Rieslings are too acidic,” he says. “Look to the humble apple to show you the way.”

Romilly Cidre Half-Dry Demi-Sec and Famille Dupont Cidre Bouché are two of his favorites, which are widely available in the U.S. and “a great entry point into the world of French cidre,” he says. “They aren’t overly farmhouse-y and overall favor fruit flavors and freshness above everything.”

Challah with Mulled Wine

Braided challah is a sweet, fluffy bread typically served on the weekly Sabbath and at many holiday meals. It’s somewhat similar to brioche, though it’s made without butter or milk.

As Jackson explains, challah is a versatile vehicle for almost any pairing. “Around the holidays, I love a mulled wine—with some brandy, of course—and I feel like that is just a great warming and festive match for the richness of challah,” she says. “Put some chicken liver on the challah, ladle a mug of mulled wine studded with orange zest and cloves, and you’ve got yourself a perfect moment.”

And a hot tip: challah leftovers make for excellent French toast the next day.

Rugelach with Madeira or Vin Santo

These rolled pastries can be filled with anything from nuts to fruit jams to chocolate. “For this flaky, nutty, often fruit-filled pastry, a light, nutty Madeira or even a Vin Santo is a perfect match for its sweet, spiced flavors,” says Whalen. “I’ve had the joy of celebrating Hanukkah with friends, and it’s such a warm, vibrant holiday filled with incredible food traditions.”

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More Holiday Coverage

• Introducing the Latke Sour, the potato-spiked Hanukkah cocktail.
• Eight crazy nights of wine for Hanukkah.
• Cocktails with chutzpah: three Jew-ish cocktails to make you forget Manischewitz.
• 11 kosher wines we love.
• Get (sugar) buzzed with these holiday cookie and dessert wine pairings.

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