Who’d Have Thunk It: Ice Cream and Wine

Let’s talk ice cream. Creamy, luscious, cold, and oh-so-indulgent. It’s a treat that is typically enjoyed by itself, but I’m going to let you in on a little secret: It’s even better when paired with wine.

I tasted the four different ice creams from Cheryl’s Cookies’ new premium line and matched them up with wines from sister brand Harry & David, basing my choices on flavors and textures that complement and enhance one another. My goal was to create a more complex symphony of deliciousness on your palate. Thankfully, this proved to be an easier task than I thought.

First up on our ice cream and wine pairing adventure is the 2019 Merlot with Cheryl’s Chocolate Chunk. The velvety texture of this merlot, which won Best in Class at the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, complements the richness of the ice cream while highlighting the decadent sweetness of the crunchy chocolate chunks in each bite. The wine’s robust secondary flavors of blackberry, tobacco, cedar, and vanilla pop up around the core of bittersweet chocolate with each sip, making for an enjoyable back and forth on the palate.

Next we have the dainty and delightful pairing of Cheryl’s Mint Cookie Crunch and Harry & David Sparkling Wine. The wine’s main fruit flavors of green apple and ripe pear are a classic match for the refreshing bursts of mint and chocolate from the ice cream. Moreover, the crispness and vibrancy of the sparkling wine lighten up the smooth texture of the ice cream while beautifully highlighting the cool, minty flavors of the chocolate, creating a truly harmonious experience.

Cheryl’s Cookies and Cream also paired well with the sparkling wine but was better with Harry & David Pinot Noir. The wine’s fresh and ripe spectrum of red fruit flavors balance the rich sweetness of the cookies and cream without overpowering its subtle high notes, while its bright acidity helps cleanse your palate for the next delectable bite. This was the most difficult flavor to find a pairing for, as I really just want my cookies and cream to taste like, well, cookies and cream. Thankfully, the award-winning pinot noir (it took gold in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition) allowed those flavors to shine through.

Last but certainly not least is the delightfully complex combination of Cupcake Cookie Dough ice cream and Harry & David Chardonnay. So many flavors going on here! Each sip of wine following a bite of ice cream tastes like an apple pie filled with cupcakes and cookie dough exploding in your mouth. The buttery vanilla flavors from the wine’s oak aging also play nicely with the sweet and chewy cookie dough, and the wine’s creamy texture and hints of citrus and vanilla help to elevate the richness of the ice cream, creating yet another layer of complexity. The result is a match made in dessert paradise.