Comfort Food Pairing

Filed in archive Food and Wine on September 18, 2007

Southern fried chicken and French Chardonnay? Gasp! Some might be aghast at pairing up greasy American food with french wines, but I say - why not? Marketwire had a piece on pairing up these comfort food classics with Vin de Pays d'Oc wines. Since these wines are clearly labeled by varietal, it's easy to mix and match with your craving du jour:

Craving: Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
Wine: Gerard Bertrand, Merlot, Vin de Pays d'Oc, $11.99
Why: Tomato sauce, gobs of stringy cheese and a thick crunchy crust demand
a high-caliber wine to be heard over the savory gustatory symphony. The
peppery-spice of the wine gives a little extra kick to the tomato sauce.

Craving: Barbeque Baby Back Ribs
Wine: Mas Carlot, Rosé, Vin de Pays d'Oc, $10.99
Why: This dry, chilled-out rosé rescues the mouth from a hot and sticky
barbeque sauce meltdown.

Craving: Twinkies
Wine: Domaine Miquel, Viognier, Vin de Pays d'Oc, $15.99
Why: The sweet sponge cake with a gooey white filling brings back blissful
schoolyard memories. A subtle tasting Viognier paired with this all-
American masterpiece makes it the perfect snack for grown-ups.

There are a few other suggestions in the article, too. I'm particularly interested in the Twinkies pairing. Might have to give that a shot myself.