You expect a sommelier to recommend the perfect wine pairing for oysters. Or filet mignon. Maybe even for a nice charcuterie.
The perfect wine to drink with Doritos, Froot Loops, and 7 other cheap snacks in the back of any pantry
Sommelier Mark Oldman recommends unconventional wine pairings for food like Doritos and grilled cheese.
But for Doritos? Not so much.
"What many people do not realize," sommelier Mark Oldman writes in "How to Drink Like a Billionaire," "is that there is a world of surprisingly delectable pairing beyond the conventional, ones that cross territorial and gustatory lines in a manner befitting the multifariousness of modern eating."
Below, find nine nontraditional cheap snacks that Oldman says are much improved with the right wine:
With salt-and-vinegar potato chips: bubbly
Oldman says: You might not want Champagne with a spicy, tangy snack like salt and vinegar chips (or truly spicy foods). Instead, he says, "It is better to serve simpler bubbly such as Prosecco, Cava, or Cremant, so you don't have to worry about the heat numbing your perception of Champagne's subtleties."
With Kraft mac and cheese: Chardonnay
Oldman says: "The butteriness of a rich Chardonnay from California or Australia adores the creaminess of this comforting classic."
With honey mustard pretzels: off-dry Riesling
Oldman says: "The sweet-sour nature of the pretzels flatters that of the Riesling, creating a gastronomic synergy of the Bavarian kind."
With popcorn: Chardonnay
Oldman says: "The creamy Chardonnay meets its match in the equally buttery popcorn and the wine's acidity finds favor with the popcorn's saltiness."
With Doritos: dry Lambrusco
Oldman says: "This savory red bubbly cools down the spicy, umami-laden flavors in this beloved snack, while the bubbles cut through the chips' oily charisma."
With barbecue potato chips: Rosé
Oldman says: "Dry and pink goes with everything but reaches the thin-air heights of greatness in the presence of barbecue potato chips."
With peppered beef jerky: Zinfandel
Oldman says: "Combining two of California's most savory passions — beefy, spicy jerky and meaty, peppery Zinfandel — will make your knees knock with delight."
With a grilled cheese sandwich: Pinot Noir
Oldman says: "My friend Steve hosts an annual event during which various bottles of smoky, fruit-forward Pinot Noir from the Russian River are paired with delectable, crispy grilled cheese."
With Froot Loops: Australian sparkling Shiraz
Oldman says: "The intense berry character of this bubbly red provides a bridge to all manner of fruity foods, even that Saturday-morning bastion of unnatural fruit flavor, Froot Loops."