The Perfect Wine Pairing For Creamy Mushroom Soup

How delectable is an umami-rich cream of mushroom soup? An effective way to bring out those nuanced flavors even further is with an accompanying glass of wine. What a hardship, right? Pick carefully, though; some bottles pair better than others. Tasting Table caught up with Lexi Stephens, a WSET III-awarded wine educator and Founder of Lexi's Wine List, to find the perfect match. 

"Pinot noir is my go-to for pairing with mushrooms because the earthiness in the wine matches that of the mushrooms," Stephens reveals. "This pairing highlights the delicate fruit and floral notes in the glass."

Pinot noir is a light to medium-bodied bottle — dry and fairly acidic but with a low tannic profile. It gets the "noir" (French for black) part of its name for its dark-skinned grape, but the actual wine color can be a range of reds. Despite its inherently dry quality, the wine does have fruit notes, making it smoother and more approachable than a Syrah or Malbec. Don't just snatch up the first bottle you see, though. Younger pinot noir is fruity and the wine gradually becomes earthier with age, so consider how strong you'd like those matching earthy flavors to be.

Imagine finding the perfect pairing only to have your soup's umami fall flat on its face. Maybe you're preparing a creamy chestnut mushroom soup or a warming Hungarian mushroom soup. Regardless of the recipe, there's one star of the show: Everyone's favorite fungus. Nobody wants lackluster attempts at earthiness — even the tastiest pinot noir can't hide that. As an emergency measure, tamari is the pantry staple that packs a punch in cream of mushroom soup; a dash of the umami-infused Japanese sauce quickly resurrects your dish. However, purposeful cooking is the best approach. 

Did you know that glutamates are the compound behind mushroom's earthy taste? The key to unlocking that flavor is releasing these amino acids, energizing them, and breaking their bonds through heating. Basically, if you want an umami-rich bowl of mushroom soup, extract those glutamates. Certain cooking strategies (think roasting and dehydrating before rehydrating) help to release the amino acids by breaking down the mushrooms' internal structures. That's why you sauté the mushrooms first in cream of mushroom soup recipes, never just adding them to boil in the soup. This two-step process results in a more intense flavor.

Select mushrooms that are known for high glutamate, and therefore umami, levels. Shiitake and oyster varieties are ideal, while the standard button mushrooms in supermarkets are frustratingly low in flavor. Play your cards right, and your pinot noir and soup will be a heavenly match.