When footy fever strikes, the go-to beverage is often beer. But there’s no reason why wine can’t take centre field. Score points with your family and friends by pairing these winning snacks with your favourite drops and take your game-day experience to another level.
Pairing wine to footy food
Meat pies
In the vein of ‘beef and burgundy’, try pairing pie with pinot. Just your classic footy meat pie will do, gravy-laden mince wrapped in flaky pastry being the perfect foil for juicy, light to medium-bodied reds, especially those that have been slightly chilled.
If you are after something a little more full-bodied, malbec is another wine that loves pastry-wrapped meat – just look to Argentina where it’s commonly enjoyed alongside empanadas, South America’s version of the meat pie.Hot dogs
Both a zhuzhed-up frankfurter and a stock-standard, Bunnings’ style, pork sausage in white bread benefit from the acidity, minerality and crisp citrus notes of a dry riesling. This holds true even with the addition of mustard or caramelised onions, which actually make the match even stronger.Juicy, fruit-driven reds such as cinsault, gamay – even a grenache-based rosé – also make good options if you’re after something other than white.
Football and pies go hand in hand, and red wines such as pinot noir or malbec can pair beautifully – cutlery optional. Sliders
Not only do the toasty notes in champagne pair perfectly with burger or slider buns – particularly the brioche kind – it stands up well against a variety of fillings. Champagne’s fizz and acidity cuts through the salt, fat and richness of a slider filled with a beef patty, melted cheese and tomato relish, but also beautifully complements one stuffed with poached prawns, mayo and watercress.
Chicken wings
When pairing wine with wings, it comes down to the marinade. Wings coated in barbecue sauce will do better with red wines like cabernet franc or tempranillo. Spicy wings, whether Southern fried style or Thai chilli, will do better with wine that has some sweetness, like an off-dry riesling or even lambrusco. And buffalo wings, that game-day staple, need acid like that found in vouvray or even gewürztraminer.
Jam doughnuts
If you’re looking to end the day on a sugar high, try pairing jam doughnuts with an off-dry rosé – something not too heavy but that has jammy, berry notes to match. For the full experience, serve the doughnuts piping hot, three to a paper bag.
For more food and wine pairing suggestions, and to access over 150,000 tasting notes, join Halliday Wine Companion with an annual membership. For a limited time, receive a complimentary bottle of SC Pannell McLaren Vale Shiraz Grenache 2018, worth $40, when you become a member.
