The big game approaches and this year you may want to explore the world of wine with your decadent and varied feast.
Where to start? Wine defininately has more of a chance for error and clash when you throw jalapenos, buffalo sauce, and sweet bbq into the mix. Rest assured there is an approach and some delicious solutions!
Some Reminders
- Always determine the spice level first
- Spicy food loves sweet wine
- Sweet food needs sweet or fruity wine
- Fat loves wine tannins
The first step is to determine how spicy the dish or appetizer is. If it’s kicking you’ll need a wine that’s over the top with fruit or even better, a wine with some “residual sugar.”
What’s residual sugar? Sugar that remains and isn’t converted to alcohol in the fermentation process leaves residual sweetness.
Grapes that can have some residual sugar are Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Moscato D’Asti, and demi-sec sparkling Brut or Champagne.
These wines are ideal for heat!
If you absolutely are gung ho on having red wine, go with a low tannic and highly fruity wine like California Zinfandel or Rose.
Rose will have a lower serving temperature, low tannins, and notes of fresh strawberry to cool the palate.
Nearly all dry reds paired with high spice will taste sour.
Wines That Are Great With Spice
- Saracco Moscato D’ Asti (Italy) $12
- Botani Moscatel (Spain) $18
- Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl (US) $12
- Trimbach Riesling (Alsace) $15
- Graziano Chenin (US) $15
- Graham Beck Demi-Sec Brut (S. Africa) $17
Let’s Dig In..
Nothing better than digging into dip. First up is Guacamole! If you don’t have much spice added, you have all sorts of options. White wines reign supreme with avocado because they act as a spritz of lemon or lime and heighten and enliven the guacamole.
Look to the aromatic and herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc, fresh Spanish Albarino, or Italian Pinot Grigio. Pinot Grigio has a slightly oily mouthfeel that’s great with the oil and fat in avocado!
Plush, low tannin, fruity red wines work well here. The saying “what grows together goes together” applies here with Californian Avocados and grapes that do well in the golden state. Red Zinfandel and Merlot being perfect examples!
White Wines To Pair With Guacamole
- Dry Creek Fume/ Sauvignon Blanc (US) $11/ $17
- Honig Sauvignon Blanc (US) $17
- Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc (NZ) $15
- Lagar De Cervera Albarino (SP) $22
- Sciopetto “Collio” Pinot Grigio (IT) $22
Red Wines To Pair With Guacamole
- Decoy by Duckhorn Merlot (US) $18
- Duckhorn Merlot (US) $35-$120
- Frank Family Zinfandel (US) $33
- Rombauer Zinfandel (US) $35-$60
- Robert Biale Zinfandel (US) $20-$60
Spinach And Artichoke Dip
We move on to a more creamy classic. Spinach and artichoke dip is best paired with something that has bubbles. The scrubbing bubbles help to cut the creaminess and refresh the palate.
When “bubbles” are mentioned, thoughts of fancy celebrations and toasting special occasions come to mind. This is because of the brilliance of marketing. The French spent many millions (if not billions) on bolstering their Champagne to to an iconic symbol of elegance.
The good news is that “bubbles” can be very affordable, delicious, and appropriate for any time of year or type of food!
Bubbles from Champagne France will be pricey due to the limited land in the region, the time consuming process, and the hefty marketing bill.
Step outside of this region and it’s a whole new ball game.
You don’t need to wait until New Years or dress like a penguin to enjoy bubbly!
Cava from Spain, Prosecco from Italy, Brut from America or South Africa can be delicious great examples can easily be found under $20!
This means you can bring a handful of bottles to a party and not break the bank!
This is also how you can mix up mimosas and not feel like you destroyed finely crafted Champagne.
Bubbly To Pair With Spinach And Artichoke Dip
- LaLuca Prosecco (Italy) $12
- Mercat Cava Brut or Rose (Spain) $15
- Decoy Brut Cuvee (USA) $18
- Mumm Napa Brut Prestige (USA) $22
- Graham Beck Brut or Rose (S. Africa) $18
- Domaine Allimant Laugner Cremant Brut or Rose (Alsace) $22
A side note on Graham Beck that makes it a fun bottle selection is that it’s known as the “President’s Choice” after it was raised to toast the inauguration of Nelson Mandela in 1994.
Bring On The Wings
Time for the staple for the big game.
It’s very important to start with that spice question. Buffalo wings will clobber almost every wine and turn dry red and white wines to sour pickle juice.
Refer back up to the wines that were mentioned above with residual sugar for Buffalo wings.
Sweet wings with BBQ sauce are best handled with California Zinfandel. Most red wines will taste sour next to the sweetness of the sauce. Cali Zin is less dry and has low tannin so it doesn’t end up tasting like vinegar.
Pairing dry rubbed or smoked wings is fairly easy to do.
Rose, fruity, and earthy reds do well here! The Zinfandel mentioned above, Grenache/ Syrah blends, and Spanish Tempranillo are great options.
These wines don’t crush the chicken, and have fruit to balance the mesquite notes of the wings. European examples may exhibit earthy notes of cedar, smoke, or leather that add depth to the experience.
Wines For Dry And Smoked Wings
- Muga Rosada (Spain) $15
- Tablas Creek “Patelin de Tablas” Rose (USA) $20
- Stolpman Ballard Canyon Grenache Rose (USA) $20
- Tablas Creek “Patelin de Tablas” Red Blend (USA) $20
- Domaine Paul Autard Cote de Rhone (France) $18
- Domaine Janasse Cote de Rhone (France) $19
- La Rioja Alta Alberdi Tempranillo (Spain) $22
- La Rioja Alta 904 (Spain) $55
Nachos And Wine
We’ve arrived at the greatest of sharing foods. It’s important to address the different styles with different wines.
First step is the spice question. If your Nachos are covered in jalapenos or Cholula, refer back up to the Rose or wines with sweetness.
Chicken Nachos
We start with the lightest protein topping which means we start with lighter red wines. You can enjoy a white wine with chicken but it’s nice to play off of the fat and char with a rose or red. Reach for a Californian Pinot Noir or Grenache. Both of these grapes work well with the tomato in the pico de gallo, as well as the guacamole too!
Wines For Chicken Nachos
- See The Rose Above
- Hahn “SLH” Pinot Noir (USA) $19
- La Crema Sonoma Pinot Noir (USA) $22
- Pali Wine Co. “Riviera” Pinot Noir (USA) $22
- Kaena Grenache (USA) $20
- Alto Moncayo Veraton Garnacha (Spain) $25
Pork/ Carnitas Nachos
We move on to a more fatty, juicy, protein topping which means a more medium bodied red wine is desired.
The Spanish and Italian really know their pork!
They’ve mastered curing Serrano and Prosciotto and have the perfect wines for them. Spanish blends, Italian Chianti, and Argentine Malbec are perfect with pork. All have complex aromas of fruit and earth with tannin to marry the fat.
Wines For Pork/ Carnitas
- La Rioja Alta Ardanza Tempranillo/ Garnacha Blend (Spain) $30
- Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Italy) $20
- Poggerino Chianti Classico (Italy) $20
- Fontodi Chianti Classico (Italy) $35
- Zuccardi “Q” Malbec (Argentina) $20
- Catena Malbec (Argentina) $22
Steak/ Carne Asada Nachos
Finally we reach the heartiest of our fare. The fat of the land calls for a bigger and more tannic red wine. The tannin helps to lift the grease off the palate.
The red wines mentioned for pork will suffice, but there’s an opportunity to involve Cabernet and Syrah blends now.
Sparkling wines also work with steak but in a different manner. They offer scrubbing bubbles to cut the fat and provide a dash of citrus that acts like a squeezed lime on the steak!
Wines For Steak/ Carne Asada Nachos
- See Sparkling List Above
- See Malbec Above
- Daou Cabernet Sauvignon (USA) $23
- Halter Ranch “Synthesis” Cabernet/ Malbec Blend (USA) $23
- Chalk Hill Estate Red Blend (USA) $38
- Penfolds “Bin 28 Kalimna” (Australia) $30
- Chateau Labegorce Margaux (France) $38
- Chateau Siran Margaux (France) $38
- Domaine Jamet Cotes Du Rhone (France) $50
Most game day food will relate to the dishes mentioned above. If tacos are involved, look to the nacho pairings. If you your taco has seafood, look to bubbly or Rose and you can do no wrong!
If a guest arrives with pizza, identify the spice level and protein involved and translate it from the nachos proteins. Pizza and nachos are both cheese and tomato based which makes their pairings similar. Enjoy your exploration and the feast that awaits! Cheers!
