Burns Night: Great wines to pair with haggis

haggis for burns night — Haggis is the traditional centrepiece of Burns Night.

(Image credit: neiljlangan / iStock via Getty Images Plus)

A dram of Scotch whisky may be the traditional choice for a Burns supper, but there are plenty of options for pairing wines with haggis, the meal’s focal point.

If choosing wines to match with haggis, look to fruit-driven, medium-bodied red wines, or white wines that have refreshing acidity but also enough weight to stand up to the fattiness and flavours.

Six wine styles to drink with haggis on Burns Night 2025

Syrah / Shiraz
Shiraz-Grenache blends
Riesling
Grenache Blanc
Pinot Noir
Gamay

Haggis on Burns Night

It’s common for dinner guests to stand as the haggis is carried into the room on a silver platter, accompanied by a piper, the chef and the person who will recite Robert Burns’ poem, ‘Address to a Haggis’.

Made well, and from a quality source, haggis offers a rich combination of meaty flavours with peppery and herby characters, as well as bit of spice. If you’re unsure about where to find it, try your local butcher.

That said, US food safety officials banned haggis imports in 1971 over the traditional inclusion of sheep’s lung.

Haggis maker Macsween of Edinburgh has been working to slightly adapt the recipe to create a ‘compliant version’ for the US, reported the UK’s Telegraph newspaper this week. It’s still in the testing phase, though.

It’s also possible to find or make vegetarian versions of haggis.

Pairing red wine with haggis

Fruit-driven red wines with good acidity are likely to be a better bet with haggis than those with heavily pronounced tannins or oak, which could overpower the flavours of the dish.

‘I’m always surprised at how peppery haggis is – not spicy, but peppery,’ said Tina Gellie, Decanter’s head of content.

‘And of course it is also dense, rich and meaty. As most people do on Burns Night, I have always paired my haggis, neeps and tatties with whisk(e)y, but if I were to choose a wine, I’d probably go for a juicy, fruit-driven red, where the tannins wouldn’t compete too much.’

Gellie suggested ‘maybe a cru Beaujolais, a Carignan or a Shiraz-Grenache blend’.

Arnaud Demas, group general manager at Galvin Restaurants in London, including Michelin-starred Galvin La Chapelle, told Decanter, ‘For a rustic dish like haggis, we recommend pairing it with a Syrah or Pinot Noir—wines that are rich in fruit and easy to drink.’

Demas, who is also an ex-head sommelier, added, ‘The key is to choose a wine with depth and fruit-forward character to balance the dish’s rustic nature. Medium to full-bodied Pinot Noirs are ideal, [but] avoiding anything too light.’

For specific matches, Demas highlighted the fruity and spiced profile of a Côtes du Rhône by producer Paul Jaboulet Aîné.

He also suggested Domaine Philippe Livera’s Gevrey-Chambertin ‘En Champs’ – describing it as a relatively full-bodied Burgundian Pinot Noir bringing ‘meaty complexity and soft tannins that perfectly complements the dish’.

German Spätburgunder (Pinot noir) with vegetarian haggis

Natalie Earl, Decanter Regional Editor for France (excluding Bordeaux), said she would enjoy vegetarian haggis with a German Spätburgunder.

‘Both have an earthy, savoury character, and the Spätburgunder is light enough not to make the whole combination too rich,’ she said.

Pairing white wines with haggis

If you’re looking for white wines to pair with haggis, refreshing acidity can still help to lift the dish but think about a trying a style with enough richness to stand up to the flavours.

Demas at Galvin Restaurants advised, ‘For white wines, avoid anything too dry or overly sweet. Instead, opt for a wine with a hint of fruitiness, such as a German Riesling or a [white] Grenache with subtle oxidation.’

Other options could include riper styles of Viognier, as well as Chardonnays with a touch of oak or creamy texture from malolactic fermentation.

Alternatively, experimenting with lesser-known styles, and trying out different combinations, is all part of the fun when it comes to wine and food pairing.

See more recent wine reviews by Decanter experts below.

If you’re planning to stick to spirits, here is our guide to 10 of the best Scotch whiskies to try on Burns Night.

Wines to drink with haggis for Burns Night 2025: Recent reviews by our experts

Recent reviews of wines at different price tiers by Decanter experts. The first two wines were among top-scorers in Decanter’s Wines of the Year 2024 feature.

This article has been republished from Decanter’s archive, with updated links and commentary in January 2025.

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Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.

Wines to pair with haggis for Burns Night 2025