Well tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday and I know what you’re thinking. All the favourite football foods will be coming out. Here at work, we had a “Bring Your Favorite Game Food to Work” for a buffet lunch on Friday. Wow, what a feed. A day later and I’m still full!
The first beverage that probably comes to mind for Sunday would be beer. But if you’re like me, and not a big beer drinker, wine can pair really well with all your football food favorites.
How many pizzas do you think will be ordered tomorrow? Well I did a little checking and its the biggest day of the year for Pizza shops, followed by New Year’s Eve. And pizza delivery drivers could see their tips go from $2 to $20. It’s a great day for pizza and pizza delivery. And there are so many delicious wines that pair well with pizza. Here a couple of examples.
The Gerard Bertrand Tautavel’s blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan make for a fantastic pizza wine. Tautavel means the Cradle of Humanity and is a village in France. Intense fruit on the palate with spicy notes will go hand in hand with the pizza. When in doubt, go Italian. Like this Cabreo Il Borgo Toscanna, which is a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. The region of Chianti makes wine perfect for aging or for enjoying right now. This wine enjoys 91+ ratings across the board, and is a perfect match for pizza
Wings… 1.3 Billion Chicken wings will be consumed in the U.S. along on Sunday! 1.3 Billion with a ‘B’. Can you believe that? That’s a lot of wingless chickens. There are many Sommeliers who will tell you that the perfect beverage for spicy food is beer. And I’m not saying they are wrong… I’m saying there is a wine that pairs great with spicy wings…. Riesling.
Here are a couple of my favorites. The Riesling on the left is locally made right here in Nova Scotia from Gaspereau Vineyards in the Annapolis Valley. Gorgeous flavors of apple and lime and a bright acidity makes it one of my favorite Rieslings. The Kung Fu Girl Riesling is an American product from Charles Smith Wines. And this too is a fan favorite of me and my friends. Peach, apricot and apple flavors and I love the acidity on this wine as well. These two great wines will not only go with wings, but other foods such as Thai Food, curried dishes and a host of other spicy foods.
Here’s another easy pairing, Chili. Ground beef, tomatoes, beans and cheese. Any red you choose for pizza would also go with Chili. Really, there aren’t too many reds that doesn’t pair well with chili . Take a Cabernet Sauvignon for example. Excellent wine to pair with Chili.
Here are two great Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The Beringer Knights Valley Cab is a wine I can’t stop gushing over. I have recommended it to my closest friends. Deliciously smooth and very food friendly. The wine on the right is a Cabernet out of Australia. It is the William Hardy Coonawarra Cabernet which was designed to celebrate Bill Hardy’s 40th year in the family business.
And last but not least my new wine of the week….
The 2009 Falesco Umbria Merlot from Italy. This is a 92 Point wine from Wine Spectator and the critic from Wine Spectator called it one of the best Merlot’s he had ever tasted. I also give it a big two thumbs up. Smooth and supple, this mysterious beauty has rich fruit, smoky tobacco notes and hints of vanilla. It stays with you on the palate with a great lingering finish, it’s full-bodied and food friendly. Coming in at the $25 mark, it’s a winner.
If you’re like me, and probably won’t be watching the big game, I hope you celebrate the day with a great wine. And I’ll be watching a great movie so Cheers!
Till next week,
Darlene
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 
