Corn soup is best paired with white wines.
Choosing a wine to pair with a sweet corn soup is relatively easy. The rich and simple buttery flavors of the soup are the perfect accompaniment to most white wines. While the acidity of a chenin blanc will cut through any cloying characteristics in the soup, a pairing with chardonnay will multiply the buttery flavors of both. A Pouilly-Fuiss can provide the ideal bridge between the sweetness of the soup base and the rest of the meal when serving the soup alongside more savory dishes. When served chilled in summer, a New Zealand sauvignon blanc makes the perfect wine companion.
California Chardonnay
Sweet corn soups benefit from the buttery flavors of their cream base intermingling with those produced by corn's complex polysaccharide profile. California chardonnays have the ability to magnify those buttery attributes by contributing their own. Perhaps the best candidate is Maison Champy Bourgogne's chardonnay "Signature;" it offers not only depth of flavor and a rich mouthfeel, but a complex structure and pleasant minerality to the soup's own flavor profile.
Chenin Blanc
If using a cream-based corn soup, some acidity can counterbalance its thickness. Brighter chardonnays are often heavily oaked, creating a wine that can easily overpower delicate corn flavors. Their tannic qualities similarly interfere with the milk proteins in the cream, producing an unpleasant mouthfeel. Chenin blancs, on the other hand, offer the same cleansing brightness while contributing a complementary flavor set of their own. The 2009 Chenin Blanc from Pine Ridge is an excellent choice for heavier soups.
Pouilly-Fum
When serving the soup alongside savory dishes, select a wine that bridges rather than enhances the flavor of the corn soup. This is particularly helpful when the savory dish is seasoned with balsamic herbs like rosemary or thyme. A balanced dry Pouilly-Fuiss such as Bouchard Pere & Fils' 2008 vintage is perfect.
Sauvignon Blanc
Corn soup is best served chilled when dining al fresco on hot summer days. The ideal wine pairing for a cool, sweet, creamy soup would emphasize its freshness while diminishing any cloying thickness or sweetness in the base. Sauvignon blancs from the Marlborough region of New Zealand are known for their light and balanced character and grassy freshness, making for the perfect summer pairing. The 2010 vintage from Oyster Bay is particularly smooth, charming and delicate.
Tags: buttery flavors, Chenin Blanc, corn soup, Corn soup best, savory dishes, served chilled, serving soup
