Comfort Wines for Comfort Foods

Bare branches and bare gardens are in; bare legs are out. 'Tis the season for cozy blankets, thick novels, blazing fireplaces, and comfort foods that feed your body and soul. This winter, pair stick-to-your-ribs dishes with bigger, bolder wines that match the food and the weather. Try one of these pairings to warm up your next meal.

Recipe: Tortellini with Garlic Sage Butter Sauce

A rustic, beef-based dish like Shepherd's Pie, filled with savory herbs and spices, is a natural match for Cabernet Sauvignon with its own classic flavors of black fruits, black pepper, and hints of leather and earth. Try the 2006 Ancient Peaks Cabernet Sauvignon ($16) from Paso Robles.

Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

Originally a quick and easy way to use up leftover chicken, the pot pie has become a comfort food classic with its creamy chicken and vegetable filling and rich, flaky crust. A full-bodied floral Viognier that smells hauntingly sweet but tastes dry is a great match. Try the 2007 J. Vidal Fleury Cotes du Rhone Blanc ($16), a rich and fruity Viognier from France.

Recipe: Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie

Possibly America's best-loved comfort food, Mac and Cheese or its Italian counterpart, Fettuccine Alfredo, is the ultimate winter indulgence. Hot, creamy, cheesy, buttery noodles need a wine like Chardonnay, which has a complementary creaminess to match as well as vibrant acidity to cleanse your palate. Look for a Chardonnay that's been oak aged (rather than one fermented in stainless steel) for that creamy, heavyweight mouthfeel. Try the 2008 Gordon Brothers Chardonnay from Washington ($16).

Recipe: Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Full of flavor, easy to make, and able to fill the house with mouthwatering aromas, pot roast is a classic weeknight winter feast. An equally humble yet complex wine like Cotes du Rhone, a blend of red grapes from southern France, will round off the meal. Try the 2007 Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone ($13), a ripe and fruity wine with dark plums and a hint of spice.

Recipe: Classic Beef Pot Roast

Salty beef and tender cabbage is the ultimate boiled supper for New Englanders and Irish lovers alike. This salty beef dish is best with a fruity white wine like Riesling from Alsace, a French region where whites are generally full-bodied, rich, and spicy. Try the 2006 Trimbach Riesling ($16).

Recipe: Corned Beef and Cabbage

A traditional Russian dish, Beef Stroganoff is a favorite of cooks around the world for its savory sauce that's a cinch to make. In the fall, the mushrooms in the sauce make beef stroganoff a good match with earthy Pinot Noir, but in the winter, choose a more robust red wine like Tempranillo, a Spanish red that tastes of ripe strawberries, wild berries, herbs, and spice. Try the 2004 Legaris Crianza from Ribero del Duero ($27).

Recipe: Quick Beef Stroganoff

For Italiophiles, a list of comfort foods isn't complete without a mention of lasagna, an ingenious layering of savory meat, creamy cheese, and sweet-and-pungent tomato sauce sandwiched between layers of wide noodles. A medium-bodied Italian red like Chianti or Barbera is a natural match for lasagna. Try the 2007 Cecchi Natio Chianti ($16), made from organically-grown grapes.

Recipe: Classic Lasagna

Chili is a great go-to dish for Sunday football or chilly winter weekends. Spicy, hearty, brash and brawny, chili meets its match in Malbec, the Argentine wonder-grape with dark fruits, hints of chocolate, smoke, and spice that complement the slightly bitter tinge of the beer-based chili. Try the 2007 Kaiken Reserve Malbec ($14).

Recipe: Chili for a Crowd

Hearty, filling, and a cinch to whip up even on a busy weeknight, meatloaf is a classic comfort food staple. With its layer of fruity ketchup on top, meatloaf needs an equally bold, fruity wine. Zinfandel is a luscious, rich, jammy red whose fruitiness will pair well with that fruity ketchup layer, yet stand up to the meaty interior with its full body. Try the 2006 Maryhill Zinfandel ($22), a rich, spicy, fruity and warm winter wine.

Recipe: Classic Meatloaf

A soft, gooey, cookie straight from the oven oozing with chocolate can cure even the worst of winter blahs. An inexpensive tawny Port like the NV Sandeman Tawny Port ($14) will make that cookie taste even sweeter and bring out its caramely, chocolaty flavors.

Recipe: All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies