A Toast to Brunch Wines
Whenever we think about brunch, the Hobbit Pippin (aka Peregrin Took) from The Lord of the Rings comes to mind: just how upset he was to learn that Aragorn was not about to recognize second breakfast, elevenses, and afternoon tea as formal meals. Pippin was onto something, fool of a Took as he was, but he missed one important meal! He didn't realize that in our world, we solved the problem of wanting to eat from 10:00 AM until sunset decades ago. We just call it Brunch.
Brunch is that rare, magical entity where the rules of dining are blissfully blurred. It’s a social playground where it’s socially acceptable to pair syrup-drenched waffles with savory eggs and follow a cup of coffee with a glass of something sparkling. But if you think brunch is a centuries-old European tradition, think again. Despite the "continental" feel of such a meal, brunch as a word is a fairly American concept. I mean, clearly they didn’t know about it in Middle Earth, otherwise the Hobbits would have surely been on board and added a eighth to their list of seven daily meals.
The Start of Brunch
While the British may have coined the term in the late 19th century, it was the early 20th century Americans that really turned it into a cultural phenomenon. It was born out of a desire for a social hour, or a way to linger over food and conversation without the formality of a dinner party. Of a desire for a meal that was a bit of this and a bit of that… not quite breakfast and not quite lunch. Well, Brunch.
Some cultures all over the world have a blended breakfast/lunch tradition, but the word Brunch as begun to be a trend in and of itself. Even in Italy, the land of the quick-breakfast espresso and the late-evening multi-course feast, restaurants are starting to copy the American brunch tradition. They are trading their traditional pastries for avocado toast and egg dishes, fueled by a global desire for that relaxed, mid-morning vibe.
Brunch Sipping
When you think of "brunch drinks," the usual suspects immediately come to mind: the spicy kick of a Bloody Mary or the orange-tinted glow of a Mimosa (orange juice and sparkling wine). But as the American brunch concept continues to evolve, the question isn’t just what we’re drinking, but the quality of what’s in the glass. Let’s face it, we are waiting for more brunch spots to catch up with better wine lists: moving away from uninspired "bottomless" options that treat the wine as an afterthought rather than a true part of the event in and of itself.
Mimosas (orange juice and Prosecco) is a classic Brunch cocktail.
The goal for a great brunch drink is simple: it should be something you can linger over for hours; a wine that’s easy to sip and light enough that it never dominates the food. This is where the beauty of lower alcohol wines comes in for a bit of mindfulness and balance. By choosing bottles with a lower alcohol content, you’re not just avoiding a “too-much” mishap headache, but you're actually choosing a better pairing partner. These wines act as a fresh, vibrant accompaniment to your meal rather than a heavy distraction, allowing the flavors of the food and the conversation to take center stage.
Take the Mimosa, for example. Most people think of it as just "juice and bubbles," but the secret to a truly great one is the wine itself. As one of our Veneto producers told us when we were researching another popular cocktail, the Spritz, the trick to a good Spritz is a good Prosecco. It seems logical right? The base or foundational ingredient of a recipe or drink needs to be good… otherwise what hope do the rest of the ingredients have of saving it? And this same rule or concept applies to that brunch-coded Mimosa as well. If you use a mass-produced, sugary sparkler, you lose the nuance of the cocktail. But if you upgrade to a high-quality, small-producer Prosecco, you respect both the fresh juice and the food on your plate.
If you want to move beyond the orange juice entirely, other wine cocktails like Bellinis or a Brachetto Spritz are fantastic alternatives. We are especially fans of the Brachetto Spritz (as we’ve shared our own recipes for it too). The Brachetto d’Acqui (like moscato’s red cousin) is light and aromatic, offering a sophisticated ruby-hued color, strawberry hibiscus flavors, that pair beautifully with the savory-sweet chaos of a brunch table. By choosing these more thoughtful sipping wines, you aren’t just drinking, you’re ensuring your brunch is as special as the company you’re keeping.
Let’s Pair
If you’ve decided to move beyond the basic bottomless carafe, the next step is looking at your plate, and how we can match up the plate and the glass. Many of the same food and wine pairing principles we’ve talked about before apply just as much to the brunch table as they do to a five-course dinner. You're looking for balance, contrast, and a way to enhance what you're eating rather than competing with it.
The unique challenge with brunch is that you're often dealing with a savory-sweet chaos, or competing flavors like salty bacon, rich egg yolks, and sugary syrups all occupying the same space. Here is how to navigate that spread with the right bottle (or bottles!).
The Rich and Creamy
Whether you’re a fan of a simple soft-scramble, a classic fried egg, or the indulgence of a rich and creamy Eggs Benedict, the common denominator is richness. To balance those textures and fats, a high-quality Prosecco is your best friend. The crisp acidity and fine bubbles act as a palate cleanser, cutting through buttery hollandaise or salty eggs to keep the meal feeling light rather than heavy.
Spicy eggs, great for pairing with a brunch cocktail.
If your egg dish is a bit more botanical, think a goat cheese omelet flecked with fresh herbs or eggs with a drizzle of good Italian extra virgin olive oil, you might want to reach for something even more specialized, like Foligodia Cider. With its infusion of bergamot, lemon verbena, and mint, this apple cider complements the green-ey notes of the herbs beautifully. Its slight effervescence and low alcohol content make it a great choice for those who want to savor their meal.
The Savory and Salty
When you add savory animal fats like bacon or sausage to the mix, your wine needs a bit more personality, like a punch of tart acidity and some cleansing bubbles to balance the fat and salt. Our favorite "wildcard" for this side of the menu is Frignano Sgarbato. It features a tart, cranberry flavor and a sparkling personality that stands up remarkably well to the richness of breakfast meats. If you consider how well cranberry sauce cuts through the heaviness of a savory Thanksgiving dinner, you'll understand why this tart, sparkling red is a revelation next to a plate of bacon and eggs.
And of course no brunch spread is complete without the humble spud. Whether you like to boil ‘em, mash ‘em, or stick ‘em in a stew, or more likely, crisped up as golden hashbrowns, potatoes are the ultimate canvas for salt and fat. To balance that starch, you need a wine with a clean, mineral finish. Again here, either the Frignano Sgarbato can be treat, but as well a crisp Prosecco provides a zip to cut through the salt of your po-tay-toes, making every bite as good as the first.
The Sweet and Decadent
The golden rule of pairing sweets is that the wine needs to be at least as sweet as the food; otherwise, the wine can end up tasting thin or even bitter. For waffles dripping in maple syrup or fruit compote, Moscato d'Asti remains an amazing choice. It’s low-alcohol, frizzy, floral, and with enough sapidity and acidity to balance the sweetness, making it a treat without being cloying.
However, if you’re serving Lembas bread, pancakes, french toast, or waffles, a great alternative is a Brachetto d’Acqui. This wine, with its bright berry and hibiscus notes, are a natural match for buttery sweet breads, pastries, and such. Especially when paired with something like fresh strawberries and cream as toppings. Its bright color, its fruity aromatic aromas, and sweet delightful palate seems like it was made to go with brunch sweet dishes!
This fits perfectly right after the "Sweet Treats" section. It acknowledges that many people prefer a "blended" drink for brunch but explains why these specific cocktails are actually versatile pairing tools for the trickier, spicier dishes.
A quick pro-tip here… you have never truly enjoyed pancakes or waffles until you have smothered them in an artisinal Nutella called Gianduja, or other sweet hazelnut creams!
A Brachetto Spritz, made with Brachetto d’Acqui and Prosecco is a unique cocktail for your next Brunch.
The Cocktail Connection
While we’ve looked at pairing wines in their pure form, the classic brunch cocktails, like Mimosas and wine based cocktails, offer their own unique pairing advantages, especially when you’re dealing with more complex flavors. If your brunch menu leans into the bold or the spicy (think a zesty Shakshuka, Huevos Rancheros, or even a spicy sausage egg scramble), these effervescent, fruit-forward drinks are your best bet.
The traditional Mimosa, when built on that high-quality Prosecco foundation we mentioned earlier, provides a citrusy acidity that acts as a buffer against heat. Similarly, a Brachetto Spritz is a secret weapon for flavorful egg dishes (and remember how a regular Brachetto pairs well with sweet dishes… talk about one wine to rule them all!). Because it’s light and aromatic with those distinct strawberry notes, it has enough aromatic power to stand up to spices and herbs without being too overwhelmed. Whether you're opting for a classic bubbles-and-juice combo or a ruby-hued Brachetto alternative, these cocktails are versatile enough to follow you from the savory side of the table all the way to the sweet.
Build Your Brunch
We’ve come a long way from Pippin’s simple dream of a second breakfast on the road with the Fellowship to deliver the ring to Mordor. Today, in the real world, brunch is our chance to slow down and turn a meal into a social event. By shifting our focus away from the uninspired bottomless mentality and toward thoughtful, lower alcohol wines, we aren’t just drinking more mindfully, we’re eating better too.
Whether you are upgrading your Mimosa with a grower Prosecco, experimenting with the tart sparkle of the Frignano Sgarbato alongside your bacon, or going for a Brachetto and French toast pairing, the goal is the same: to savor and enjoy. These wines allow you to stay present in the conversation, respect the quality of your ingredients, and leave the table feeling refreshed rather than ready for a nap.
So, the next time you find yourself planning a Sunday spread, remember that the wine list is just as important as the egg count. Choose bottles that tell a story, support small producers, and invite your guests to stay for just one more glass.
Ready to curate your own elevated brunch? Well, for those of you that know our curation style, you know that we love to support small producers and bring you unique fun wines and specialty foods. And you can enjoy these curations by trying a selection of different wines, foods, and olive oils from our portfolio. We sell to both businesses and consumers across the US:
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We also have an award winning wine club for true wine explorers seeking to continually discover unique, sustainable and authentic small production wines they never had.
