Wine with Real Food

(Picking the right wines to accompany the foods Americans really eat)

The following is adapted from an article by Dan Berger. Joel’s suggestions are in [brackets]. Additional wine and food suggestions are available.

Pairing wine with food is not rocket science, but there really is no perfect, singular solution to the problem. For me, the most appropriate match-ups are really fairly easy to understand if one follows this basic rule: never allow a wine to be stronger than the food it’s going to accompany, and never allow strong food to overwhelm the wine.

However, do you notice how it always seems a lot more complicated than that? People are always making suggestions that make this sound like it’s equivalent to calculus. Imagine the following text if it had been written by one of this nation’s wine writers: “This wine will go perfectly with braised loin of muskrat in a juniper and mandrake root kumquat sauce.”

Wine writers come up with these odd suggestions (this one was made up), but not out of thin air. Often it happens that they are invited to attend some wine function, at which a chef has prepared a piece de resistance, a dish of magnificent proportions. And often these dishes do, alas, include a variety of ingredients that are next to impossible to find. And, yes, the wine he or she is writing about probably did taste great with this dish. However, to recommend that everyday Americans pick up some obscure food on the way home from a tough day at work and then spend 3 hours preparing dinner is ludicrous.

The real point is that the food we eat every day also calls for wine. By every day food, I am referring to things like hamburgers, spaghetti, fried chicken, baked ham, macaroni and cheese. Things like that. So what are the wines that go best with real food, the food we usually eat?

Hamburgers or meat loaf - Numerous wines work here, including Beaujolais with its light tannins and juicy fruit. This works especially well with burgers that have catsup added. The sweet-ness of the wine works with the sweet, tomato taste. [Go for a Cru Beaujolais if you want to move a little up-scale.]

I also like (red) Zinfandel with hamburgers, but many Zins are too powerful, too high in alcohol. The perfect alternative is Syrah or Australian Shiraz. This plummy-scented wine often is gutsy enough to go with onions, raw or caramelized, mustard, and all the other condiments we use to doctor our burgers. [You might also try one of the juicier new Italian reds wines on the market. Our Spaltenna Chianti would be great.]

Spaghetti - For starters, forget the “chi-chi” primavera versions with garlic-scented olive oil, basil and pine nuts. We’re talkin’ about spaghetti with meat sauce from a jar here. For this I simply go with the obvious: Chianti. If there is tomato in the dish, I need the tartness of Chianti to balance the tartness of the sauce. [Or a Barbera or another Sangiovese-based wine]

Fried Chicken or Fish Sticks - Mildly flavored foods like this (even if the chicken has pepper, it’s still not usually assertively flavored with herbs) require a light, clean, refreshing white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Chenin Blanc. Aim for those that are made without oak aging, since oak and the oils that are in the dishes are not compatible.

Sausages or Hot Dogs - As the weather turns warmer and we think of taking the tarp off the kettle barbecue, sausages become a relatively quick dinner item. Paired with a salad, garlic bread and a side dish of fresh corn, you have an easy meal. The wine should be an easy choice, too, but I tend to look at the sausages before picking.

If you have real kielbasa , bratwurst or any other highly seasoned sausages, you may prefer a bottle of sparkling wine. [It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it has to be dry. Forget the mediocre Korbel. There are numerous better choices as low as $8 per bottle!]

For milder sausages and hot dogs, try a lighter (red) Zinfandel. If the sausages are chicken or turkey based and lighter in seasonings, such as a classic chicken-apple sausage, try Gewurztraminer or a dry Riesling.

Barbecue - Whether you’re having beef, chicken or ribs, this kind of food usually has a slightly sweet sauce on it, or was marinated in it. Thus I prefer the counterpoint of a hearty beer such as a micro-brewed wheat beer. However, BBQ is very personal, and so should be the wine chosen to work with the style of the sauce. If the sauce is not sweet, or if the meat was dry-rubbed with spices, try Zinfandel or a medium-weight Rhone wine or California “Rhone” blend.

Tuna casserole, macaroni and cheese, fondue, other cheese-based dish - Chardonnay usually works here, but again I prefer to stay away from the heavily oaked versions. Look for something from Mendocino, Monterey or Carneros, three cooler regions of California. Another wonderful melted-cheese accompaniment is a dry Chenin Blanc-based white wine from the Loire Valley such as Vouvray Sec. Or dry a California dry Chenin Blanc.

Ham - With the flavors in the typical ham coming from clove or pineapple, a slightly or barely sweet rosé wine is a perfect accompaniment. A number of wineries (Simi, Phelps, Geyser Peak) make a dry rosé. [There are some lovely French, Spanish and even Italian versions.]

Chicken fried steak with cream sauce - This middle America classic is almost never served with wine in the nation’s heartland, but I had one once with a very light Cabernet Sauvignon and it was fine. If you’re in a diner in East Texas, however, and you ask for a Cabernet, expect to be laughed out of the place.)

Asian foods - If you like the flavors in stir-fried foods with soy sauce, ginger, garlic and fresh vegetables, try Gewurztraminer. Indeed, it also works well with the assertiveness of Thai, the delicacy of Japanese, the mildness of Mandarin, or the intensity of Szechuan. Or try a sparkling wine. German Rieslings also work here, but avoid those that are totally dry (trocken) since they will be too tart to compete with the sweetness often found in these dishes.

Fish - It’s true that most white wines work better than reds here, but there are subtleties that make this a potential stumbling block. For one thing, if the seafood is grilled and served with little if any sauce, or a citrus sauce, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris are better than Chardonnay. The latter is best with seafood in creamed sauces. Salmon and tuna are usually best with light California or Oregon Pinot Noir.

Soups - Few Americans know of the joys of serving a dash of Sherry in soup and a small glass alongside. Sipping a light, well-chilled Fino Sherry with soup is a treat all to often ignored in the rush to get the food on the table. Try either La Ina or Tio Pepe, two of the top Spanish Fino Sherries. Even if the soup is from a can, sherry can elevate it into a more sublime experience.

Omelets - Eggs normally do not work with wine, although when the innards of the dish are hearty and you desire a wine for it, think mainly of the flavors of the dish. If the interior is mainly cheese, seek out one of the wines suggested above for cheese dishes. If the omelet is seasoned with green herbs and has a salsa on the side, try a Sauvignon Blanc.

A final thought: if a dish seems to have no perfect accompaniment, think of serving a sparkling blanc de noirs, often a salmon-hued bubbly with ample, but delicate flavors. It’s an all-purpose choice when inspiration fails you.