Some things just go better together - peanut butter and jam, bacon and eggs, socks and sandals (an acquired taste, perhaps). The same is true of wine. Sure, you want to sit down to a nice dinner and open a wine that brings out the flavor of your meat or fish. But sometimes you have a craving for a bag of potato chips, or a big ol’ bacon cheeseburger. Does that mean you should just open whatever bottle you have in the cabinet? No! Just joking: of course you can open whatever your little heart desires. But if you are looking to try something new, here are our top 5 wine and junk food pairings.
1) French Fries & Prosecco
These Italian bubbles go spectacularly with anything deep fried and salty. The bubbles help to cleanse your palate, and because Prosecco is so crisp and refreshing, it helps to offset the saltiness of the food.
2) Vanilla Ice Cream & Sherry
You want your wine to be sweeter than your dessert. Sherry can be anywhere from dry to super sweet, often tasting of dried or pitted fruits. If you are feeling extra zingy, you can pour that ruby liquid right on the ice cream and have the best of both worlds!
2) Burgers & Beaujolais
Beaujolais is made from Gamay grapes in Beaujolais, France. This might make it sound super fancy, but this light-bodied wine is juicy and unpretentious…like a good burger! In fact, it is known for its “chug-ability” (NOT something we recommend). It is dry and light-bodied, and like most red wine, pairs great with red meat. In case you are wondering, it also goes great with a hot dog off the grill.
3) Gummy Bears & Port
Just like with the ice cream, you want to compliment the sweet treat with some sweet wine. Port is a fortified wine, which means it is far more concentrated – sometimes up to 22% alcohol, compared to your typical 11-14%. It is sweet and thick, with an almost syrupy texture. The complexity of Port is balanced by the simplicity of the Gummy Bears. We haven’t tested out which Gummy Bear color goes best with Port, but that sounds like an experiment we’re willing to try (and my money is on red 😉).
4) Popcorn & Chardonnay
You want to make sure you choose an oaky Chardonnay, perhaps something from California. Oaky chardonnays have lots vanilla, toffee, and clove aromas. They are full-bodied with a rich, creamy texture that “coats” your mouth, which compliments the buttery flavor and texture of your popcorn.
Traditional thinking when it comes to wine pairings is that "if it grows together, it goes together". I don't personally know anywhere that Gummy Bears grow in the wild, so we get to be a bit more creative when it comes to junk food pairings, looking for flavors that compliment and contrast. The ultimate goal with wine, though, is that you love it - always lead with that.
Have any other favorite wine and junk food pairings? Be sure to share with us!