By David Setley
“There are two seasons: football season and waiting for football season,” said Darius Rucker. I know, I know, I know. I’m the wine guy, but football fans drink beer! Well, not all of us. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good beer from time to time. However, in my experience, most beer drinkers do not match the style of beer (lager, stout, IPA, etc.) to what they are eating. Instead, they drink the style they prefer, perhaps changing things up seasonally. On the other hand, wine drinkers tend to pair their wines with their food. As we prepare for the starting weeks of the NFL season, allow me to suggest wine pairings for the foods that many of us enjoy while settling in for a game: hot dogs, wings, pizza, and nachos.
First up, the all-American hot dog. According to Food Republic in The Ultimate Hot Dog Style Guide, nearly every major city has its own style of dog. Though I can’t cover them all today, I’ll focus on some of the major NFL towns, starting with last year’s Super Bowl winner: Kansas City. According to the guide, a KC hot dog is sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese on a sesame seed bun. The ideal pairing with this dog is a riesling. I’d pick up a bottle of Pierre Sparr Alsace Dry Riesling from France to enjoy. For our Giants or Jets fans, the New York-style hot dog is served with sauerkraut, mustard, and an onion sauce. For this flavor profile, a nice crisp rosé would be perfect. Consider the Lobetia Rosé from Spain for an excellent pairing. A Chicago hot dog comes with a salad on board by way of a tomato, whole pickled peppers, chopped raw onion, pickle relish, mustard, and a pickle spear all packed onto a poppy seed roll. For this one, I’d go with a shiraz, such as the Shirvington McLaren Vale Shiraz from Australia. For Seahawk fans, the Seattle hot dog starts with bratwurst and then adds cream cheese, sliced raw jalapenos, chopped cabbage and sriracha. Go with the A to Z Oregon Pinot Gris for a delicious pairing. Of course, the above-mentioned teams and hot dog styles may not have the loyalty of most of my readers. After all, this is Eagles country! It should come as no surprise that a Philadelphia Dog is served like a Philly Cheesesteak: Cheez Wiz, grilled bell peppers, “wit” (with grilled onions) on a toasted roll. I would pair a gamay wine from Beaujolais, such as the L. Tramier & Fils Beaujolais Villages, with this dog.
If hot dogs aren’t your thing, chicken wings are a football staple with an impressive number of variations. Arguably, the classic is the Buffalo-style wings, also called hot wings. Traditionally deep-fried, coated with a cayenne pepper hot sauce, and served with blue cheese dressing, these wings would go well with a nice, crisp sauvignon blanc, such as Babich from Marlborough, New Zealand. For those of you who reach for the sweeter barbeque wings, reach for a full-bodied red wine to pair with the rich flavors of the barbecue sauce. A red blend such as Ancient Peaks’ Renegade from California would be my pick. Alternatively, if you like teriyaki-style wings, the Pine Ridge – Chenin Blanc-Viognier blend from California is the perfect pairing. Lastly, lemon-pepper wings are often found at the table. The blend of lemon and black pepper leads me to one choice for a wine pairing: gewurztraminer. The Domaine Barmes-Buecher Gewurztraminer from Alsace, France pairs perfectly.
Another popular treat at football get-togethers is nachos. Warm tortilla chips with melted cheese and some combination of meat (optional), beans, tomato salsa, jalapeños, avocado, corn, onions, olives, etc. I mean, — come on! Who doesn’t love this crispy, cheesy finger food? You can pair nachos with a red wine, such as a garnacha, or a white wine, such as a vinho verde. My favorite garnacha is from the Priorat region of Spain near Barcelona. For nachos, go with the Clos de Tafall, Priorat. If you prefer a white, the Vera Vinho Verde Branco from the Lisboa wine region near Lisbon, Portugal will not disappoint.
Finally, football and pizza go together like peanut butter and jelly: perfectly! The number of toppings and pizza variations can take up a full page on the menu of many establishments, so I will simply suggest pairings based on whether your pizza preference is red (tomato sauce), or white. My favorite wine for pies with tomato sauce is the Sette Vigne – Italia, a wine produced by blending the seven indigenous grapes grown throughout Italy in equal portions. If you choose a white pizza, my choice would be Briganti Wines Nonnia Filomena from near Abruzzo, Italy.
Well, if you’re anything like me, you are now hungry and eagerly anticipating the return of the college and NFL season. There are a lot of games, with many opportunities to try something new with your favorite snacks. I hope this article encourages you, at the very least, to split your time between beer and wine as you enjoy your football festivities. Feel free to contact me with any questions, or let me know your favorite football food pairings, at dsetley@passionvines.com. Until next time, happy wining!
P.S., go Saints!
David Setley is enjoying his retirement from higher education as a wine educator and certified sommelier at Passion Vines in Somers Point, New Jersey.
