Wine Survival Guide for Superbowl

Playoffs. Superbowl. It’s a great time to entertain and be entertained. Beer is the #1 beverage of the football season and the star of many a Super Bowl commercial, but wine is making a play for its place at the table. Hosts know that a good Super Bowl menu is almost as important as the game itself, and if your guests are wine drinkers there are many affordable choices to kick off your event…

Some wine pairing suggestions that will make your Super Bowl menu a winner…

Hot wings & Asian-style wings: Spice needs sweet to balance the heat and an off-dry Riesling will do the trick. Find a German Spatlese or choose one from Washington state or NY’s Finger Lakes region.

BBQ wings: With a sweeter sauce than Buffalo wings and less hot spice, the full bodied BBQ sauce will make a fine pairing with a California Zinfandel or Malbec from Argentina.

Nachos: This dish comes in many forms with many toppings and fillings. With meat and beans, try a Zinfandel to match spice with spice, or open a Pinot Noir based Rosé – it’s lively acidity and mild flavors won’t compete but will compliment the flavors of dish.

Chips and dip: Bubbly goes so well with salty snacks, The acidity in the wine and the salt are a perfect match. Even Marilyn Monroe enjoyed chips and champagne in The Seven Year Itch. Other salty snack pairings – chicken fingers or popcorn. If you are going for Mimosas (Champagne and OJ), choose an inexpensive Cava or Prosecco.

Pizza: With tomato sauce you want an acidic red like Chianti or other light Italian wine, Barbera, Sangiovese, Valpolicella. After all, the Italians invented pizza and kept the tradition alive because it paired so well with their wine!

Burgers: Red wines that don’t break the bank, but the style of wine depends on what your topping will be. Simply dressed cheesburgers will be happy with a Merlot or Cabernet, but more complex topping, onions, mustard, avocado, pickles & tomatoes need a lighter more flexible red like Pinot Noir.

Beef Chili: The ultimate football prepare-in-advance-to-enjoy-the-game dish. A new world dish that craves a full bodied new world fruit-forward red with mild tannins like Zinfandel or a bold California red blend.