5x the tastiest chips & wine pairings
Wine is excellent to pair with food: we all know that. But although you might want to reach for those oysters or freshly sliced kingfish sashimi with a crackling Chablis, there’s more than just the slightly fancier bite. Next time you’re pushing your cart past the chips aisle, pick up these chip flavors, and we’ll tell you which wine to drink with them.
5x the tastiest chips & wine pairings
Wine and chips can go very well together—much better than you might think. Chips always have a basic flavor profile: think salty, spicy, hot, or slightly sweet. And because these flavors are fairly simple, finding a matching wine is also much easier. The ideal way to start if you want to improve your wine-pairing skills.
Plain chips + bubbles
Ridged or smooth, plain chips are the most popular (and least unhealthy) chip flavor. A glass of Champagne alongside a bowl of plain chips? Match made in heaven. That’s because salt and fat pair well with Champagne’s fresh, tangy bubbles. A glass of Spanish cava also disappears easily with this chip. And the tastiest plain chips? You can buy them at this supermarket.
Nacho Cheese Doritos + Grenache
Putting a bowl of Nacho Cheese Doritos on the table? Pour a glass of Grenache (Garnacha in Spanish) alongside it. Grenache is one of the most popular grapes in southern France and the key grape in Côtes du Rhône. Grenache has a distinctive flavor of white pepper and red fruit, a great match for the umami flavor bombs in triangular form. Want to try something different? Go for an Italian Lambrusco.
Sour Cream & Onion + Chardonnay
The name says it all: these chips have an onion flavor with a layer of sour cream, but in powdered form. Because the onion flavor dominates here, a fuller-bodied white wine is the best option. So you can’t go wrong with a Chardonnay featuring tropical flavors such as peach, mango, or pineapple.
Barbecue chips + Rosé
Barbecue chips have a distinctly smoky flavor. Often with a hint of paprika, tomato, and garlic mixed in too. What stands out about barbecue chips is that they’re slightly sweet. And that sweetness goes well with a ripe, fruity wine such as Pinot Noir. Slightly light-bodied and not too robust. A rosé would also work in this case.
Salt & Vinegar + Sauvignon Blanc
This is one case where a fresh, light wine works well with these chips. Vinegar is acidic, and with something acidic, it’s best to drink a wine that also has more acidity. A Sauvignon Blanc with a fresh green-apple flavor is a good choice. Pinot Grigio or Verdejo would work too.
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