Wine stores can be intimidating places. You walk in, thinking that you’ll just grab something reasonable on your way to the party, and are confronted by row-on-row of identical-looking bottles.
You could go for Yellowtail, but someone said it was crappy. Or was it good? Is Barefoot the good one? Most often your only recourse is to hide in the corner and have a hushed conversation with your “wine friend” about which bottle to get so you don’t seem like a complete novice. But that can only go so far.
Why isn’t there an app for this? There is! It’s called Vivino and it presents you with ratings, reviews, and average price as quickly as you can take a photo of any bottle’s label. While that’s super useful, it still doesn’t solve the issue of what section to start in or the right bottle of wine to pair with the inevitable Girl Scout cookie binge, now that they're in season.
Thankfully, someone predicted exactly this problem. Vivino teamed with Jessica Norris, the director of wine at New York City's Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, one of Wine Enthusiast's Top 40 under 40 Tastemakers, and a Girl Scout cookie enthusiast, to present a series of pairings.
We picked our top three cookies (they picked 12) to start. Because we all may not know wine, but we sure as hell know Girl Scout cookies.
Thin Mints are objectively the best Girl Scout cookie. We all already know to put them in the freezer. Vivino suggests pairing with recent-vintage Brunello, an Italian wine.
Their top three suggestions are:
Lisini Brunello di Montalcino 2003
Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello Di Montalcino Pianrosso 2007
Marchesi Antinori Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino 2009 Norris suggests that Samoas, the coconut-and-caramel cookies, are best with Rioja. Samoas, and their little cousins Caramel deLites, are a strong contender for the top spot. Because they’re slightly-less-beloved, they're a good way to ensure you might still have some leftover after your first weekend with them at home. Their top three suggestions are:
La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 2004
CVNE Imperial Rioja Gran Reserva 2007
Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva 2006 Tagalongs and Peanut Butter Patties take third place. They’d rank higher but Reese’s has the market for peanut-butter-and-chocolate combos locked down. Also, they’re just not beating Thin Mints or Samoas. Norris says you should pair these with the same wine Hannibal Lecter (book edition) uses with human kidneys: a big Amarone. Their top three suggestions are:
Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2009
La Colombaia La Colombaia Amarone della Valpolicella 2011
Allegrini Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2010
Lisini Brunello di Montalcino 2003
Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello Di Montalcino Pianrosso 2007
Marchesi Antinori Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino 2009 Norris suggests that Samoas, the coconut-and-caramel cookies, are best with Rioja. Samoas, and their little cousins Caramel deLites, are a strong contender for the top spot. Because they’re slightly-less-beloved, they're a good way to ensure you might still have some leftover after your first weekend with them at home. Their top three suggestions are:
La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 2004
CVNE Imperial Rioja Gran Reserva 2007
Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva 2006 Tagalongs and Peanut Butter Patties take third place. They’d rank higher but Reese’s has the market for peanut-butter-and-chocolate combos locked down. Also, they’re just not beating Thin Mints or Samoas. Norris says you should pair these with the same wine Hannibal Lecter (book edition) uses with human kidneys: a big Amarone. Their top three suggestions are:
Bussola Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2009
La Colombaia La Colombaia Amarone della Valpolicella 2011
Allegrini Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2010
Want more? Click through to find the whole list.This Is The Fanciest Way To Eat Your Girl Scout Cookies