Who Droped A Nacho In My Zinfandel?

Maybe 10 years ago, hearing that uttered at a super bowl party was pretty unlikely. However, here in 2009 with the popularity of wine soaring, there’s a good chance that the corkscrews will be busier than the bottle openers this Sunday. But traditional superbowl food may not necessarily pair well with your usual wine favorites.

If you’re following the blog, you know that I’m not afraid to open a bottle of wine with a cheeseburger or a tamale. So here are my humble suggestions for wines that might work best with the goodies at your superbowl fiesta.

WINGS

Always a crowd pleaser, it seems these days, the hotter the better, just dip ‘em in some ranch or blue cheese dressing and you’re good. These spicy, vinegary bad boys need a nice, crisp, cold, acidic Sauvignon Blanc to wash ‘em down and quench the fire in your mouth. A Riesling could work too, but make sure it’s not one of the sweet ones.

CHIlLI/CHIPS N’ SALSA

Lots of options here, depending on how salty or spicy it gets. A hearty California Zinfandel can handle the big flavors involved, but then again I always like Spanish wines with spicy, tomato based stuff, it’s suited for it; A Tempranillo would be a great call. If it’s really spicy you could go with a Syrah or even (yes I’m going to say it), a nice chilled Rosé. The cool temperature will help cool your heated taste buds.

PIZZA

Sometimes it’s easier to just call in an order to the local pizza place on game day. Whether it’s Domino’s or DiGiorno, it’s cheesy, greasy and full of flavor. I’m never mad at trying to match your international faire with the appropriate wine, so if you have access to some Chianti or Barbera, have at it. These wines are have the right structure and acid level- they’re tailor-made for rich, tomato sauce and cheese.

Enjoy the game, enjoy the wine and don’t spill salsa, or zinfandel on your jersey

By the way, you can get the snazzy metal football dude/wine bottle holder pictured above at MetalImagination.com.