Two great choices to have with spicy food that aren’t beer
First in a series of what wine to have when everyone else is drinking beer.
Let’s talk about this.
Here are two scenarios:
Picture this:
Everyone is sitting around eating nachos and spicy chili and watching football (or ignoring the football but enjoying the company.)
Beer is what everyone is drinking, and you say:
Scenario 1:I don’t really like beer, do you have a nice Chardonnay I could have instead?
Humiliation! Embarassment! Snob alert!
Same scene as above, BUT
Scenario 2: I don’t think I’ll have what you are drinking, but I did bring these 2 great delicious bottles of wine. You can try them if you want.
Cheers! Fireworks! You are voted MVP!
Okay, this may be an exaggeration in both cases, but you get the picture.
If you come to my home, we have an incredible selection of beers, but I won’t be drinking any of them with you. I don’t like beer. SIGH!
“Aha!,“ You may say. “That’s why you write a wine blog instead of a beer blog.” Yep!
I have been in many social situations where everyone is drinking beer, because it seems to fit the occasion. Or it seems to go better with what food is being eaten.
The other people who join me on the wine instead of beer team are people who are gluten free. For some it is calorie and health considerations (I trust their wisdom here, but I have never personally researched it.) Then there are those that just prefer wine.
There are a lot of different foods and occasions when the everyone is drinking beer but me situation arises. (Trust me. I know this.) That’s why I will be doing a series of these suggestions on what to drink in different scenarios.
If you go to someone’s house for a sporting event as above, bring a wine you like to drink. Offer to share. You will hopefully get big points for this.
But what should I bring ?
Read the room, so to speak. This is a long informal event. DO NOT bring the “show off expensive” wine. DO bring a fun, easy drinking and inexpensive wine. DO NOT bring a high alcohol wine (high alcohol will catch up with you at a long event.)
Let’s step back and discuss wine with spicy food. Everyone reacts differently to spicy food. Some people want to feel the burn (each to their own.) Some people want to calm down the spiciness.
The general rule is that high alcohol may intensify the heat. So decide if you are a feel the burn person or a mellow out the spice person. Also, read above about the alcohol catching up with you.
My suggestion is lower alcohol, slightly sweet and fruit forward wines. Spicy foods will generally make sweeter wines taste less sweet.
These are the 2 great choices!
Read on for more info.
First of all these wines can be purchased at Trader Joe’s! When I purchased them in October, the Dry Riesling was $5.99 and the Gewürztraminer was $6.99. Woo! At that price, you can bring quite a few to share.
The wines check all the boxes! They are both 11.5% alcohol. The Riesling is considered dry, but still has enough fruit and sweetness to go well with chili and nachos. The Gewürztraminer is considered medium dry, but the sweetness will go really well with the spicy chili.
These are really drinkable wines that will go well with the informal football watching. You aren’t trying to have a wine that matches perfectly and will shine along with the chili and balance flavors or what ever. Just have fun with the wine.
But what else could I get if I can’t get to Trader Joe’s?
You can look for a dry Riesling in general. Rieslings come in ALL different styles and price points. It depends on the weather, how mature the grapes are when picked, and a number of other variables. Do not go down the rabbit hole that is German wine labels and Prädikatswein! That is a rating of how much sugar is in the wine, by the way. If you can find a dry Riesling from any country, give it a go. But remember about keeping it reasonably priced. You just want to have fun; not break the bank for this event.
See if you can find a Gewürztraminer if you want. But check the alcohol. In some places it can be high. I have had some really great ones from Upstate New York. I’ve also had some mediocre ones. You’re having it while watching football and eating chili. Don’t overthink it. Again, just have fun with it.
There you go! That’s what I am talking about!
Grab that delicious wine and join the party!
