You don’t have to be a football fan to appreciate the Super Bowl.
(Then again, you couldn’t plan a better matchup - age (Brady) versus youth (Mahomes), the defending champions (Kansas City Chiefs) versus the veterans with something to prove (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
Some people watch the game just for the commercials.
Others tune in just to see the halftime show.
But almost everyone can agree on one thing.
The food.
Well, not exactly.
Some love nachos.
Others prefer chicken wings.
The bottom line is most of us agree that the Super Bowl Sunday is all about the snacks.
And while most people will probably wash all that food down with beer, who says you can’t have wine during the game instead?
But what wines go best with nachos or chili or guacamole?
Fear not, Super Bowl fans. Below, behold my wine recommendations for some of the Greatest Of All Time (aka Tom Brady to most New England fans) Super Bowl snacks.
Hope you enjoy and hope it’s a great game!
WINES THAT GO GREAT WITH 5 CLASSIC SUPER BOWL SNACKS
1) POTATO CHIPS
When it comes to foods sports fans love to eat while watching a game, no article would be complete if it didn’t include potato chips. I will admit I don’t eat as many chips as I used to. That’s partly because these delicious morsels in a bag seem to be specifically designed to pack on the pounds around the waist as quickly as possible. But that’s one of the great things about sporting events like the Super Bowl. Everyone has an excuse to crack open a bag or two during the game.
Recommended Wines - Depending on what type of potato chips you like (regular, sea salt and vinegar, dill, etc.), there are several wines that go great with potato chips. Champagne from France or Cava from Spain pair perfectly with these salty snacks. So does Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or other, dry, tart white wines like Gruner Veltliner from Austria.
2) PIZZA
I could (and will) write an entire column about what wines go great with pizza. Here again, it all depends on what type of pizza you’re having - thin crust or deep dish, red sauce or white sauce. And then there are all the toppings, from pepperoni and sausage to mushrooms or black olives or anchovies. The possibilities are endless - and so are the wines that taste great with pizza.
Recommended Wines - Let’s keep this simple for Super Bowl Sunday. The vast majority of pizzas consumed on this unofficial national holiday have no toppings (other than cheese) or pepperoni/ sausage or mushroom. If you decide to have a plain pizza, you can’t go wrong with a hearty, red wine from Italy’s Montepulciano region or Spain’s Rioja region. Ordering a pepperoni pizza? Pair that with a robust, California red zinfandel. Mushroom pizza? You can’t go wrong with a Spanish Albarino white wine.
3) NACHOS
You can’t easily make potato chips at home. Same goes for good pizza - unless your kitchen comes equipped with a wood-fired brick oven. But you can easily make a fairly decent plate of nachos. When it comes to nachos, I’m a fan of corn chips, cheese, black olives, scallions and salsa. I also prefer mine on the mild side compared to my wife, who lives for anything on the extreme spice range. (I once witnessed my wife eat chicken wings at a restaurant that came with a written warning because they were so insanely hot.)
Recommended Wines - If you prefer your nachos on the mild side like me, I would open a bottle of wine that goes great with the cheddar cheese, salsa and other assorted flavors. And the wines that come to mind in this particular case include blended red wines from France’s Bordeaux region or Rhone region. Like a great plate of nachos, a blend of several different grapes goes into making wines from these two, legendary French wine regions. And you don’t have a spend a fortune either. There are many, great affordable red wines from both of these regions, which I have written about here many times before, including in my recent column about the Top 10 Wines Under $10 for 2020.
4) CHILI
As with nachos, you can easily make a great pot of chili at home. Many people prefer very spicy, fire engine hot chili. I’m a total wimp when it comes to chili and steer more towards the mellow, Kenny G version of chili. But I think we can all agree there’s no better sports food, particularly since chili pairs so perfectly with nachos.
Recommended Wines - While I cannot speak from experience, I will say there are certain wines that go better with very spicy foods. If you prefer you chili on the red hot side, stock up before game day on German Riesling white wine, especially ones on the drier side. If your prefer chili that tastes more like food instead of molten lava, may I recommend a red Malbec from Argentina’s Mendoza region?
5) CHICKEN WINGS
I often wonder what happens to the rest of the chicken on days like Super Bowl Sunday. Millions of people will consume millions of chicken wings. Where does the rest of the chicken go? Why are we so obsessed with the wing? Is it because we can’t fly? I want to know! Ok, enough of my trying to channel Jim Gaffigan or Jerry Seinfeld. My point is I think we can all agree that chicken wings are a huge hit on Super Bowl Sunday - or frankly any day of any week.
Recommended Wines - One of the great things about chicken wings is how versatile they are when it comes to pairing them with different wines. From Champagne to California Cabernet Sauvignon to Chardonnay, you can honestly open a dozen different types of wine and they would all probably go great with wings. I personally recommend an Oregon Pinot Noir or Italian Prosecco with your wings. But honestly, anything you open will probably taste great, especially if it’s a great game.
Cheers!
Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republican’s weekend section every Thursday.
Follow Ken Ross on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook.
February 02, 2021 at 02:00AM
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