Wine Ain’t Nothing without a Food to Pair it With
OK, this is not totally true. We can enjoy a glass of wine all alone without a morsel in sight but truth be told wine and food go together like Bey and Jay. Food and wine are allies and should compliment each other not battle for the spotlight like Kim and Kanye, it should just be natural. So with the cold weather nearing fast lets explore some of our favorite comfort food take outs. So get ready to fall Drunk in Love with these food pairings just as we did ...or Nah?
Pairings are all about your taste preference, however, some foods have a way of changing the taste of wines depending on with what they are paired. For instance, a Shiraz paired with a Parmesan cheese brings out the fruitier flavors and Shiraz paired with a spice like Rosemary brings out menthol flavors. So choosing a good wine to go with your next meal is very important and can mean sweet success or a bitter disaster. This does not mean every wine should taste sweet, however. There are many different taste of wine, wines can be light and fruity, rich and oak, earthy, dry or even spicy (we’ll get into that at a later time). Whether you’re going out or staying in be sure to try one of our recommendations with our favorite takeout foods!
Shiraz and Pepperoni Pizza
Every man, woman and child loves a good pizza night! And with these cold dreary nights quickly approaching ordering out and bundling up at home sounds so comforting! Add a bottle of wine and it gets all the more cozier! We tried pepperoni pizza paired with the berry and oak forward flavors of Shiraz. The spice from the pepperoni coats the mouth and allows for the flavors of the Shiraz to smooth across the tongue. Be sure to add a little Parmesan to your slice!
Cabernet Sauvignon and American Cheddar Cheese burger
This is a common duo and boy is it good! I’m not a huge fan of Cabernet but pair it with a juicy greasy cheddar cheeseburger and you can’t go wrong! As a rule of thumb red meats and red wines tend to compliment one another and with the addition of cheddar cheese to the mix, it is just so scrumptious. Next time you’re out and have a taste for a big juicy cheeseburger feel free to class it up a bit and order a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon to go with it!
Champagne or Sparkling Wine and Fried Chicken
Are you as surprised at this one as we were? This combo is very tasty and it is making quite a movement! So slide over chicken and waffles, here comes Champagne and Chicken! (Actually, we think there is enough room on the plate for all of thee above!) The crispiness of the golden fried chicken compliments the bubbly taste of a champagne. We tried fried chicken with a Korbel Sweet Rose Champagne and it was delicious! Although I am a spice fan you should probably avoid the hot sauce on the chicken for this pairing and just enjoy the crunchy fizzy flavors of this unlikely pairing!
Riesling and Chinese Takeout
There is nothing like good Chinese food and a movie to pass the time for a fun night in. Why not enjoy some delicious General Tso’s Chicken and Pork Fried Rice along with Virginia’s own Williamsburg Winery 2012 Governor’s White Riesling? The sweet and spiciness of the chicken blended very well with the light fruity flavor of the Riesling. The spicier the food the better the wine! We also tried this wine with a little bit of beef and broccoli and it was not a favorite. This wine definitely pairs better with a spicier food, the beef and broccoli didn’t enhance the flavor.
