Drink Up!
According to songwriter and performer Darius Rucker, “There are two seasons: Football season and waiting for football season.” On Sunday, Feb. 8, the culmination of the football season takes place in Santa Clara, California in Super Bowl LX! I know, I’m the wine guy, and football fans drink beer! Well, not all of us. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy a good beer. However, in my experience, most beer drinkers do not match the style of beer (lager, stout, IPA, etc.) to what they are eating, whereas wine drinkers tend to pair their wines with their food. Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest food day of the year in America, surpassed only by Thanksgiving. So, allow me to offer wine pairings for some gameday foods that may represent the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots on your party table.
For the Seattle Seahawks, consider teriyaki chicken wings. Did you know that the American style of teriyaki that most of us are familiar with – the rich, sweet, slightly smoky sauce – was created in Washington State? If that sounds good and a white wine is your preference, pair it with a bright refreshing Riesling, such as the Nik Weis St Urbans-Hof Mosel Riesling from Germany or a Domaine Barmès-Buecher Gewürztraminer from Alsace, France. Either would complement the flavors of teriyaki well. If red wine is your choice, go with the OZV Zinfandel or the Old Soul Petite Sirah from California. Or, if you’re willing to go out on a wing (limb), sparkling wine with chicken wings is a delicious surprise play. The acidity and bubbles of a wine like Brilla! Prosecco or the Cune Cava do a great job of cutting through the richness of this popular gameday treat.
For the New England Patriots, no food exemplifies New England better than a lobster roll. A classic lobster roll is chopped lobster meat tossed in a light mayonnaise dressing on a buttered New England-style hot dog roll. Some choose to skip the dressing and lightly toss the lobster meat in butter and top it with hot sauce. Either way, the natural pick to pair with this dish is Chardonnay. If you like the oaky, buttery California-style Chard, go with the Raeburn Chardonnay. If you prefer a less oaky version, go French with either the Novellum Chardonnay from the Languedoc or the Simmonet-Fabvre Chablis from Burgundy. Any hosts who offer lobster rolls and Chardonnay to their Super Bowl guests are going for a New England win!
If you have been to the Pacific Northwest, salmon is one of the most ubiquitous entrees served in many eating establishments. While a nice cedar plank salmon would be outstanding, a Seattle smoked salmon dip may better serve Seahawks fans for a Super Bowl party. There are many great recipes you can find online; read on for a wine pairing. Sancerre is an appellation of the Loire Valley in France, from which Sauvignon Blanc is one of the finest in the world. Try the Jean Paul Picard Sancerre. The crisp freshness and light citrus flavor of this wine is a natural complement to this creamy dip. Or try the Infamous Goose Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand for a fruitier version. For something completely different, call an audible and go with a Gamay wine from Beaujolais. This light-bodied, dry but fruity red is my first-round draft pick to pair with this snack.
My final food-find for the Seahawks is a Seattle-style cream cheese hot dog. Who knew? Take your favorite hot dog, some cream cheese, onions, mustard and sauerkraut and voila! Your guests will be spiking the ball and doing a touchdown dance. The wine to pair with this is the quarterback option play of the day. The easy pick is the Mantlerhof Gruner Veltliner from Austria or the Chateau St. Michelle Harvest Select Riesling from Washington State. Or go with a dry rose wine like the Lionel Osmin La Vien Rose from Southwest France. Or go with another Washington State favorite: the 14 Hands Hot to Trot Red Blend.
My final food-find for the Patriots is Boston baked beans. Every family has a favorite baked bean recipe. Beantown’s connection to this dish goes back to Puritan days, when a popular dish involved slow cooking navy beans with pork and molasses. The best wine pairings for this are as red as the Patriots’ throwback uniform shirt. My favorite choice is the Truchard Syrah from Carneros, California. Or go with a nice Cab such as the Joel Gott 815 Cabernet Sauvignon. A great Argentine Malbec, like the Catena Malbec from Mendoza, would also be as sweet as a pick-six.
If you are going with more traditional dishes, that’s completely OK. It’s time for the two-minute drill. For chips with salsa and/or guacamole, I would recommend a nice medium-bodied red wine, such as the Balletto from California’s Russian River Valley. If pizza is your play, a Sangiovese wine from Tuscany, such as the La Gerla Poggio gli Angeli Sangiovese, would be awesome. Chili is a game-day standard, and the Larchago Crianza Tinto Rioja should make the play. Hamburgers will be on many Super Bowl menus, and the Method Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect MVP. And if you are a die-hard Eagles fan, you may be setting your table with Philly cheesesteaks, “wit or wit-out,” regardless of who plays. The J. Lohr Pure Paso Red Blend should take the Lombardi Trophy for that pairing.
Game time will be just days away when this article hits the stands. I actually remember the very first Super Bowl in January 1967. NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, Bart Starr, and the Green Bay Packers defeated NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson and the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The memory of that day is still etched in my memory, even 60 years later. Whether you are a Patriots fan or a Seahawks fan, or if you just enjoy the food, the halftime show, or the commercials, here’s to a great game. Feel free to contact me with any questions, or let me know your favorite football food pairings, at dsetley@passionvines.com. Until next time, enjoy the game and happy wining!
David Setley is enjoying his retirement from higher education as a wine educator and certified sommelier at Passion Vines in Somers Point, New Jersey.
