Pancake Day is one of the best excuses to indulge in both sweet and savoury treats. But while toppings get all the attention, the right wine can turn a simple stack of pancakes into something really special.
Whether you’re loading yours with sugar and fruit or folding them around cheese and ham, here are some brilliant wine pairings to elevate your pancake game.
Sweet Pancakes: Think Fresh, Fruity & Gently Sweet
Sweet pancakes need wines that can match their sweetness without overpowering them. The trick is simple: your wine should be at least as sweet as your topping, otherwise it can taste sharp or thin.
Here are three fantastic options.
Moscato - Light, Fun and Perfectly Sweet
Moscato is pancake pairing joy in a glass. Usually low in alcohol and bursting with flavours of peach, grape, orange blossom and fresh fruit, it works beautifully with classic sweet toppings. Think lemon and sugar pancakes, strawberries and cream, or banana and honey. Moscato’s gentle sweetness and refreshing finish cut through creamy toppings while enhancing fruit flavours. It’s also ideal if you’re serving pancakes as part of a relaxed brunch or afternoon treat. Moscato feels celebratory without being heavy. easy drinking and dangerously moreish.
Top tip: serve well chilled for maximum freshness.
Off-Dry Riesling - The Sweet and Sour Hero
If you want something slightly more refined, an off-dry Riesling is a brilliant choice. Riesling’s natural acidity balances sweetness beautifully, meaning it refreshes the palate rather than making things feel sticky or heavy. This is especially good with fruit-based toppings - apple compote, berries, peaches, or anything with a touch of tartness. It’s also excellent with pancakes that include yoghurt or crème fraîche, where the wine’s bright acidity complements the creamy tang. Riesling also works well when your toppings include caramel or salted butter elements, as the wine’s freshness keeps everything lively rather than cloying.
Late Harvest Dessert Wines - For Indulgence Mode
If pancakes are dessert rather than dinner, then this is your moment to go all in. A late harvest or dessert wine brings richness and depth, perfect for decadent toppings. Think pancakes with chocolate sauce, caramel, roasted nuts, or maple syrup and bacon. Dessert wines bring flavours of honey, apricot, marmalade and dried fruits, turning your pancake stack into something truly luxurious. A little goes a long way here, serve small glasses and let the wine act as the finishing touch rather than the main event.
Savoury Pancakes: Crisp, Fresh and Food Friendly Wines
Savoury pancakes open up a whole different world of pairings. Cheese, mushrooms, ham, spinach, smoked salmon, these fillings benefit from wines with freshness and structure.
Champagne - The Ultimate All-Rounder
Champagne and pancakes may not be the obvious pairing, but it works brilliantly. Champagne’s high acidity and fine bubbles cut through rich fillings, making everything taste lighter and fresher. Cheese and ham pancakes? Perfect. Smoked salmon and crème fraîche? Even better. Mushroom and cream fillings? Champagne lifts the dish and keeps it from feeling heavy. And of course, pancakes and bubbles make any meal feel like a celebration, whether it’s brunch with friends or a relaxed weekend treat.
Chablis - Clean, Crisp & Brilliant with Creamy Fillings
Chablis is a fantastic savoury pancake partner thanks to its clean, mineral style and bright citrus freshness. Made from Chardonnay, but without heavy oak flavours, it pairs beautifully with dishes featuring cream, cheese, chicken or seafood. If your pancake filling includes mushrooms, spinach and cream, or chicken and leeks, Chablis provides freshness without competing with the dish. It’s elegant, refreshing, and keeps each bite feeling light.
Morgon - A Light Red That Plays Nicely with Food
If you prefer red wine, Morgon, one of the best Beaujolais crus is ideal. Made from Gamay, it’s lighter in body with soft tannins and juicy red fruit flavours, meaning it won’t overpower savoury pancake fillings. Morgon works especially well with ham, bacon, roasted vegetables or richer fillings where you want a red wine but don’t want something too heavy. Lightly chilling Morgon for 20 minutes before serving makes it even more refreshing and food-friendly.
