Wine pairings with macarons – not something most people recommend: wine pairings with luscious, addictive French cookies. Oh, yes! But you already know I am not “most people.” On my recent trip to explore New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes, I was treated to a first—wine pairings of Domaine LeSeurre’s Signature Wines and French Macarons. Did somebody say cookies—and wine?—Sign me up!

Keuka Lake Wineries

The Keuka Lake Wine Trail may be one of the best-kept secrets of the Finger Lakes. Did you have any idea there were 144 wineries in the Finger Lakes? I sure didn’t. Well, not before my trip. Now that I know, I’ll be ready for a repeat visit any time.

Something else people don’t know before visiting the area is that Keuka Lake has a unique shape. It isn’t so much a “finger” as it is a “Y,” earning it the nickname “Crooked Lake.” The three-part lake’s smallest portion is about 20 miles in length, and the east side of Keuka Lake holds seven wineries. Seven is the perfect number for a long weekend of wine tasting, a perfect little getaway if you live in the New York area.

Domaine LeSeurre

Located on a hillside near Hammondsport, Domaine LeSeurre Winery has a to-die-for view of Keuka Lake. Owned by Céline and Sébastien LeSeurre, Domaine LeSeurre produced their first wines in 2012. They opened their doors in 2013, and in 2017, Tasting Table selected them as one of the best new wineries in the U.S.

Born and raised in Champagne, in northeastern France, Sébastien is a sixth-generation winemaker. He made wine around the world for fifteen years before falling in love with the Finger Lakes.

Céline, also French, was born and raised in her grandparents’ vineyard near Toulouse in southwestern France. With sommelier classes plus a Hospitality and Tourism degree, she soon found herself working at Clos Henri Vineyard in New Zealand. It was here, as it happens, that a handsome Frenchman was making wine. It would make a great start for a joke, wouldn’t it? Two French citizens walk into a winery in New Zealand, fall in love, and come to the USA’s Finger Lakes and both fall in love (again) with Keuka Lake. The joke’s on us. That is precisely what happened!

The Finger Lakes AVA (American Viticultural Area) is similar to France and Germany, which explains (at least in part) why so many European winemakers ended up here. It also explains the abundance of Champagne (sparkling wine) and Rieslings. This could undoubtedly be your bubbly (happy) place!

French Macarons

Handcrafted in France, five marvelous flavors of macarons found the perfect wine pairings with a tasting flight of five French-style wines. Don’t confuse macarons with macaroons—macaroons have an extra “o” and are soft, gooey bites of coconut.

Conversely, macarons are two meringue-based, slightly crunchy cookies sandwiched together with flavored buttercream filling. They have gained notoriety in the last few years because of Food Network shows. Due to the difficulty in baking the perfect macaron, the cookies are used to set a high bar in cooking competitions. The variety of fillings and flavors make these dainty cookies one of my favorite treats—maybe it’s the sugar (yes, I’m that easy.)

While American bakeries can produce tasty macarons, Domaine LeSeurre Winery imports them from France. Since the owners are from France, they have connections with French bakeries. The LeSeurres believe the imported pastries perfectly enhance the French-style wines they produce.

Wine Pairings with Macarons – A Drool-worthy Experience

The folks at Domaine LeSeurre Winery carefully select wine pairings with macarons that will complement each other. The flavors of the macarons match and contrast with the aroma and taste of the wine. Our Wine Educator, Reneé, guided us through our tasting. She arranged the macarons on a slate and poured the wines we would be tasting. After pointing out the selected wine pairings and the reasons for those choices, we were left to taste and compare.

And now, drumroll, please, the moment you’ve been anticipating—the wine pairings with Macarons direct from France!

Unoaked Chardonnay and Lemon Gourmet French Macaron

The LeSeurre 2021 Unoaked Chardonnay is aged in stainless, leaving it a tad flinty, and it paired perfectly with the lemon macaron. I am an avowed lemon lover, so looking back at my tasting sheet and seeing an asterisk and an exclamation point is no surprise. And the memory the marks evoke brings a smile to my face. My other notation on the sheet is a 1, which is very surprising for a wine lover who has spent years avoiding Chardonnay. I’m happy to know that there are unoaked wines that can win my heart.

Riesling Barrel Select and an Almond Gourmet French Macaron

The winemakers pick grapes for this wine from two different Finger Lakes vineyard locations, one with a layer of shale stone under the soil and the other with heavier clay. The combination of the two terroirs makes one special wine. LeSeurre’s 2020 Riesling Barrel Select was aged in neutral French oak barrels and included a “stirring of the lees.” In French (not that I understand much of anything in that language) it is called bâtonnage sur lies. I do know that this is a unique winemaking method in this region. And those neutral barrels have been used for more than five vintages, imparting just the right complexity to the wine.

I also understand my own notations on my tasting sheet. This one had one word—Yum! That wraps it up nicely. This wine was light and paired perfectly with an unflavored macaron. I’m a big fan of sugar cookies, so I appreciate a plain cookie. Extra flavorings are not necessary; in this case, those flavors would have competed with an absolutely perfect wine.

Gewurztraminer Barrel Select and Pistachio Gourmet French Macaron

Already a big fan of this German wine, I was excited to see how many vineyards in the Finger Lakes devote space to growing the grape. Ripe Gewurztraminer clusters have a lovely pinkish hue when ripe and smell so nice in the glass that they always make me smile. Of course, it could be those tiny bubbles hiding in the wine and tickling my nose, causing the smile, too.

Gewurztraminer is my go-to Thanksgiving wine, but pairing LeSeurre’s 2021 Barrel Select Gewurztraminer with Pistachio Cream-filled Macarons was a brilliant idea. The slight saltiness of the cookie played well with the sweetness of the wine.

Domaine LeSeurre takes it further and says this wine pairs well with Creamy Butternut Squash Soup and Pain de Mie Crouton Sticks. They even provided a link to that recipe. I’ll let you know how it turns out!

Rosé Cabernet Franc Barrel Select No. 04 and Raspberry Gourmet French Macaron

The 2021 LeSeurre Rosé Cabernet Franc was my second pick from this tasting. Talk about being surprised! Pairing this slightly dry wine with the tart sweetness of raspberry was a match made just for me.

Debbie, my friend, and fellow travel writer is a Rosé all-day girl. So her smile widened as soon as she spotted this bottle coming our way. With the rosé education I’ve received in New York’s Finger Lakes wine country, I’ve become more of a fan.

At the Finger Lakes wineries, we’ve tasted excellent rosés. I now know that when the wine comes from red grapes, I know and love, like Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc, I enjoy the rosé in my glass. Maybe I’ve been snooty about rosé when it was really “blush” that I loathed. The fact that the terms are used almost interchangeably probably added to my confusion. Rosé and blush wines appear in shades of pink, but they are made in different ways, and have a distinct flavor profile.

Rosé is created by crushing red grapes, allowing the juice to soak against the skins, and coloring the juice. The wines are dry, with flavors of red fruits, citrus, floral notes, and a crisp finish.

Meanwhile, blush wines can be made from dark-skinned grapes and fermented without the skins, or they can be the result of mixing red and white wine. The fermentation is stopped early, leaving the wines sweeter, with a bit of candied fruit taste.

Réserve Spéciale Barrel Select and Chocolate Gourmet French Macaron

Everyone knows I’m a sucker for a red blend—maybe because I have a hard time picking only one taste! This wine was a delightful mixture of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Give me red wine and chocolate, and you have a happy girl.

In this case, the 2020 Réserve Spéciale Barrel Select paired with a Chocolate Gourmet French Macaron was perfection on my palate. The ideal way to end my tasting, I could have happily had this for my lunch, my dinner, and my dessert.

I had looked forward to this event for weeks. As soon as I read about it, I knew it would be a remarkable experience. When I talked about it, I said, “They had me at cookies!” Friends laughed and wondered about my sanity. But I reminded them—I’m the girl who wrote the article about wine pairing with Halloween candy.

And the haunting time of year is near…Bone up on those wine pairings!

When You Go to Domaine LeSeurre for Wine Pairings

You may want to try more conventional wine pairings at LeSeurre. I get it. They can handle that, too. There is a second experience with five wines and selected bites from local and French artisans. Or you may choose from a wide selection of variety boards, local cheeses, meats, crackers, and other snacks for the perfect meal. Domaine LeSeurre is open daily from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. (except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.) If you suspect they may be extra busy when you plan to visit, calling ahead for reservations is always a good idea.

Plan Your Next Trip

For more exciting trips, try these locations! Plan your own trip to Corning and the Finger Lakes, or make a road trip from the Roanoke Valley of Virginia to North Carolina’s beautiful Yadkin Valley Wineries. Or jet off to the breathtaking Azores!