Do You Want Fries With Your Merlot?

Writing this post makes me think of that great scene in Sideways when Miles is sitting alone at the booth of a burger joint, drinking his 1961 Cheval Blanc from a styrofoam cup. Now I’m not saying I’m tempted to drink the finest bottles in my cellar with a corn dog, but I like to drink a nice tasting glass of wine, whether there is good food on my plate, bad food on my plate, or no food on my plate.

And every once in a while, one of the following hits the spot (in no particular order):  KFC, Arby’s, Taco Bell, & Wienerschnitzel.  And of course a great burger= In N’ Out (those of you on the west coast know what I’m talking about, and if you’re from the Midwest don’t start talking to me about White Castle.  My family is from Chicago, thus I’m qualified to comment. Don’t get me wrong, I can eat a sack if asked politely, but it they don’t hold a candle to In N’ Out).

So Saturday night, when I brought home my Arby’s beef n’ cheddar sandwich, I opened up a decent bottle of Tempranillo and washed down every bite (and kept the wine flowing till SNL was over). The soft, plush fruity taste and lack of heavy tannins made it a nice pairing with the Arby-Q sauce.

If you’re having a bucket of KFC at the house, why not have a glass of your favorite pinot noir?  It’s a versitile red that goes well with chicken.  Or you could do a nice California Charonnay:  the oak and the grease will dance in your mouth.

A Taco Bell Gordita, with cheese, sour cream, beans, onions etc. etc. needs a nice merlot to rein in the variety of flavors.

And a burger?  Well, depending on where it’s from and how much stuff you add: onions, secret sauce, “animal style” (again, west coasters are familiar with this In ‘N Out code for LOTS OF EVERYTHING,) the wine choices could be Syrah, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, or even a hearty Cabernet if it’s more of a restaurant style STEAK burger.

Bottom line, don’t be afraid to open a nice bottle with your Whopper.  Just make sure your hands aren’t greasy when operating the corkscrew.

As always, feel free to comment with any combination that you’ve tried…