How to Pair Oreos With Wine

Since hitting store shelves in 1912, Oreo cookies, with their crumbly chocolatey rounds and sweet creme filling, have remained an American snack-time favorite. Perfect for dipping and dunking, these bite-sized sweet treats have a reputation for being best served with an ice-cold glass of milk. 

However, that’s far from the only ideal pairing, especially as the brand keeps releasing new flavors. For adults looking to elevate their cookie-eating experience, a glass of wine is even better than the lactose-laden beverage. After all, wine and cookies are a classic combo, too.

“Oreos and wine are the grown-up version of cookies and milk,” says Samantha Capaldi, an Arizona-based sommelier and co-founder of Faff Wine Co.

Oreo and Wine Pairing 101

Oreo cookies and their wide variety of flavors aren’t typically the first foods that come to mind when people think about wine pairings. Desserts, in general, can be a challenge to pair with glasses of red, white or rosé wines because their sweetness can overwhelm the wine, making it taste bitter or overly acidic. 

However, a pairing blunder can be avoided by selecting the right style of wine to enhance the dessert’s flavors. There are a few key factors to remember when pairing Oreos with wine, no matter the flavor of the cookie. 

“You really have to find the perfect balance and pairing just like with all great pairings,” says Jessica Green, founder of Wine Vie Experiences and owner of Down the Rabbit Hole Wine Boutique in Long Island, New York.

Finding Balance

One way to achieve that balance is by opting for sweet wines that match or even exceed the cookie’s sweetness. The sweetness of both items works in harmony on the palate, whereas a very dry style of wine may taste too bitter or astringent after a bite of an Oreo. 

Acidity is another essential characteristic because it can help regulate the cloying sweetness of some flavors, like the limited-edition Churro or Sour Patch Kids Oreos. “Wines with a good balance of acidity can cut through the richness of the cookies and cleanse the palate,” says John Jackson DipWSET, the wine educator behind the YouTube channel Attorney Somm. 

Port and late-harvest Rieslings are great examples of sweet wines with balanced acidity that could pair well with many types of Oreos, but there are options for those who don’t fancy dessert wines. 

“There is a general rule of thumb that with sweet treats, you want a sweet wine, but I have found through exploration that this does not have to be the rule,” says Tiffany Tobey, the head sommelier and wine director at the Ritz-Carlton Resort in Dallas. “Fruit-forward wines can often be a good choice in complementing bold desserts, while tannin structure can be the perfect accompaniment for something on the richer flavor side.”

Wines with fruity notes can complement the flavors of the cookies, especially those with fruit-flavored cremes. Meanwhile, wines with lighter tannins will work cohesively with the flavors and the texture of the cookie, as wines with high tannins can clash with the sweetness of the Oreo and result in an astringent and unpleasant taste in the mouth. Plus, classic Oreos, encased by cacao biscuits, boast chocolate, which also contain tannins. This makes for bitter on top of more bitter, creating a super bitter combo.

In a traditional wine pairing, drinkers may sip red wines with heartier dishes and white wines with lighter fare. But for Oreo pairings, all wine colors are fair game. “It’s more about the characteristics of the wine,” Green says. 

She adds, “Red wines with softer tannins and a touch of sweetness, like Lambrusco or Brochette d’Acqui, can work well. On the other hand, white wines such as Moscato d’Asti can be an excellent choice due to its natural sweetness and acidity.” These red and white sparklers Green suggests bring us to the next point—bubbles.

When In Doubt, Go Sparking

And don’t forget about the sparkling wines. “I typically say bubbles when in doubt. I recommend pairing sweets with dry to off-dry sparkling wine because of how versatile they are,” says Capaldi. “The medium to high acid, effervescence and low tannins make it a mouthwatering pairing with almost any cookie.”

While knowing general characteristics can come in handy when pairing wine and Oreos, we took the cookie pairings a bit further with specific styles matched to some of the latest Oreo flavors to hit store shelves. 

Made of chocolate wafers with a rich creme filling, the classic Oreo displays subtly sweet flavors that play nicely with light, fruit-forward wines. For this, Green suggests reaching for a bottle of Lambrusco, noting that the “slight sweetness and fruitiness of the wine will balance all the creaminess” of the cookie. 

Golden Double-Stuffed Oreos and Pinot Bianco

These cookies are a heaping of that rich creme filling sandwiched between two golden-colored rounds that exude flavors of sweet vanilla. “One of my favorite go-to pairings for Golden Oreos is Pinot Bianco from Alto Adige, Italy. The zesty fruit with the subtle shortbread tastes of the cookie proves for a flavor explosion,” Tobey says.

In July, Oreo debuted the new limited-edition Mint Chip cookies, complete with chocolatey cookies stuffed with a minty, chocolate-chip filling. The freshness of the mint-filling flavor is a perfect partner for a wine that also exudes green characteristics, like a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, Tobey says.

“I was surprised to enjoy a Cabernet Franc and the Mint Chip Oreos as a great pair,” she adds. “The greenness of this grape variety was surprisingly complimentary to this cookie when I honestly expected it to clash with the cream.”

Peanut Butter Oreos and Sauternes

This nutty twist on the classic Oreo features two chocolate wafers with smooth and scrumptious peanut butter inside. “Let’s be fancy and enhance those nutty flavors with Sauternes, like Chateau Guiraud,” Green says. All those spiced honey, apricot and mineral qualities only seem to amplify the taste of peanut butter in these cookies without diminishing its chocolatey profile. 

Inspired by the popular gummy candies, Sour Patch Kids Oreos made their debut on shelves in  May. They’re reminiscent of the Golden Oreos, except they are speckled with color flecks of Sour Patch Kids that give the cookie a sweet yet tart flavor that pairs well with something bright and zippy, like Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, says Capaldi. 

Cookies get a cinnamon sugar upgrade with the Churro Oreos, released in March. The golden rounds emit a fried-dough taste while the cream is dotted with specs of sugar. Jackson says a wine like a late-harvest Gewürztraminer would work well for this cookie pairing, as the “floral and fruity notes of the wine would enhance the cookie’s cinnamon and sugar notes.” 

Acidity and aroma also play an important role in this pairing. “The acidity would help cut the richness of the filing, and the aromatic complexity of the wine creates an intriguing combination with Churros Oreos,” Jackson says. 

Halloween Oreos and Spätlese Riesling

These chocolate and orange creme-filled cookies don’t usually hit the market until spooky season arrives. The spiced creamsicle flavors make for a perfect fall-time snack, especially when paired with a Spätlese Riesling, which can “balance the festive, slightly spicy flavors of Halloween Oreos,” says Jackson. 

Holiday Red Creme Oreos and Sparkling Brut Rosé

A Christmas favorite, these cookies feature chocolate wafers with a fun red-tinted creme filling in the middle. Pairing this Oreo with a sparkling brut rosé will only enhance the festivity of the season, notes Capaldi, while also providing a balanced taste and sophisticated touch to the casual snack. 

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Published: August 19, 2024