5 Ultimate Comfort Food Recipes Featuring Wine

As the weather grows cooler in northern Michigan, our minds have turned to comfort food classics. Warm, hearty dishes are feeding our souls and finding their place alongside a full glass of wine. We always love cooking with wine, but comfort food lends itself perfectly to the flavors amplified by a little wine. We’ve compiled this list of our favorite comfort food recipes, paired with the CGT wines best suited to star as an ingredient in each dish.

We are firm believers that you should always cook with wine that you’re actually excited to drink. Not only will your food taste better, but you’ll enjoy drinking the rest of the bottle!

White Wine Mac & Cheese

We had to start with mac & cheese because there may not be any food more comforting. With creamy cheese sauce coating starchy, satisfying pasta – it’s a classic for a reason. This version takes the classic to a new level with a white wine-based sauce similar to fondue. Get the recipe here.

This recipe calls for a dry white wine and the complexity of our Pinot Grigio makes it the perfect wine to take this mac & cheese to the next level.

Is mac & cheese a true favorite of yours? The Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula host the Great Mac & Cheese Bake-Off every November, with wine and mac & cheese pairings at all the Old Mission Peninsula wineries! This year’s event sold out quickly – if you managed to snag some tickets, we’ll see you there. If not, celebrate at home with homemade mac & cheese and a bottle of wine!

Rich, Creamy Risotto

Many are stuck on the idea that risotto is a complicated dish best eaten in a fancy restaurant, but we’re here to tell you that it’s actual quite simple. With the right rice and a hearty pour of white wine, you’ll be eating this rich, creamy and oh-so satisfying dish in 30 minutes or less. This recipe offers a great starting point, but feel free to experiment with what you mix into your risotto – sausage, vegetables, herbs and mushrooms are all great additions! Get the recipe here.

Use a dry white wine to make this risotto special, like our Ship of Fools or Picnic Semidry White.

Beef Stew with Red Wine

A hearty and flavorful beef stew is the perfect way to bring a little comfort to a chilly fall day. Slow cooked in the oven, this dish will warm your home even before it warms your body. While making stew takes a long time from start to finish, much of the time is hands-off while the stew slowly simmers away in the oven. This makes it the perfect answer to a chilly day at home. Get the recipe here.

The chocolate notes in our Silhouette red blend make it the perfect wine to use for this recipe.

Roasted White Wine Chicken

Tender roasted chicken with extra crispy skin is a homey and satisfying meal made for chilly fall days. This take on the classic adds a creamy white wine sauce with shallots and leeks for the ultimate comforting combination. Get the recipe here.

We suggest making this dish with our Whole Cluster Riesling for its bright lemony flavor and subtle sweetness.

Late Harvest Cake

Looking for something sweet to serve at your next gathering? This simple cake makes use of our Late Harvest Riesling in both the cake and the glaze, making a simple yellow cake into something truly special. This recipe was written by one of our own staff members, with our wine in mind. Get the recipe here.

CGT wines are widely available in retail stores and in our online shop or you can stop by the CGT tasting room to sample our wines this fall and bring a few bottles home.