3 Tips for Pairing Wine with Fast Food

Move aside beer, its wine time! Let's admit it, wine ultimately goes with everything! From summer to winter, there is a wine for every season and every meal. Go ahead, treat yourself with that Big Mac for dinner and pair it with Papi Wines - your Tuesday just got better! When you’re dining to your favorite shrimp scampi, Thanksgiving feast, or Taco Bell Crunch Wrap Supreme, you should be aware of all the hidden rules when it comes to eating and sipping on wine. With these few tips and tricks from Papi Wines, you’ll become the wine pairing expert that's sure to impress your friends and family.

Identify the Basic Taste in Food

From years of research, we have come to the conclusion that there are over 20 different tastes found in food. There are the basics that everyone first thinks of: sweet, sour, and savory. However, when you think of your favorite dishes, (we all know it’s a Chipotle bowl) there is more to that. You also have spicy, umami and electric. Now that does sound a little intimidating, but we will stick to the six golden taste for pairing wine with food: salt, acid, sweet, bitter, fat and spice (peppery). When you're in the liquor store deciding on Papi Sauvignon Blanc or a Papi Rosé, It's good to put each type of wine into categories. Red wines have more bitterness, white, rosé and sparkling wines have more acidity, and of course, sweet wines have more sweetness. With food, think about the ingredients and how the food makes you feel. Is your food very light or very rich? A regular salad from Panera may seem lighter, but if the dressing is a balsamic vinaigrette that hosts a high acidity and thickness, it would be considered a little heavier of a dish. If the strength of the dish isn’t obvious at first, it's good to focus on the power of each taste ingredient (acidity, fat, sweet, etc).

Get Creative with Your Wine

Once you have nailed the basic wine science, it's time to decide what you'll be drinking tonight! Get creative and think about the subtle notes in your food. For a dish as simple as Panera’s Macaroni and Cheese, it may seem obvious as which wine you would want to pair with. If you decide on the BBQ Chicken Mac & Cheese, red wine like Papi Merlot should be your go to - the ultimate comfort food! If you choose the Bacon Mac & Cheese, a sweet white like Papi Pinot Grigio would be your best bet! Always think about the subtle flavors in the dish to bring out the proper notes in the wine. Are you hungry yet?

The Golden Rules in Wine Pairings

When in doubt, there are a few golden rules for wine pairing. Light foods are best paired with white wines, while heavier foods are a match for red. Always detect the body of wine before grabbing that bottle off the shelf. Body, color, and alcohol are the three factors you should always look for when choosing wine. It's always a good idea to look at the ABV (alcohol by volume) in the wine. High alcohol wines pair better with a richer dish, no matter the color. It's best to focus on the weight and flavor of the dish. Everyone always knows red wine is the perfect match for a grilled steak, but if you have Philly Cheese Steak or even a Whopper, white wine will complement those light red meat flavors. Sparkling wine, like Papi’s Prosecco, pairs best with salty and bold flavors (hello Wendy’s french fries!). Acidic wine is a match made in heaven for with acidic foods. Anything lemon based, white and rosé pairs beautifully. Lastly, for those creamy or earthy flavors, even on a light fish dish (yes, filet-o-fish counts!) the perfect cabernet sauvignon from Papi Wines is going to pair best!

Pair Your Dish with Papi Wines

Wine and food pairing is not as hard as it seems, right? No matter what your favorite food or wine, the award-winning Papi Wines will go with any meal! As the number one demi-sec in America, This Chilean wine is an easy softly sweet wine that will complement any dish. We offer our customers a large collection of affordable and exceptional red and white wines. With free shipping every day, there is no reason not to try Papi out! Register, contact, and buy Papi Wines today!