You’ll be surprised at just how amazing potato chips can taste when paired with the right wine. Simple yet satisfying, guest blogger and Wine Guide, Brittany Loveless, explains the why and how to pair chips with your most-loved glass of wine!
Wine tastes great with all kinds of food, and pairings don’t have to be fancy. With all of the endless flavor styles to choose from, wine pairs especially well with everyone’s favorite- potato chips!
Why does this popular snack work so well with wine? Potato chips contain a lot of salt, and salt plays a huge role in the wine pairing process. In high acidic whites like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, salt softens the acidity. With red wines, salt softens the astringency of the tannins, making the wine not appear as sharp or drying on the tongue. What also makes this dynamic duo work so well is the acidity from the wine also tones down the saltiness in the chip.
When you throw in some different chip flavors, other common pairing rules also come into play.
Classic
Simple and salted and such a classic go-to, especially when paired with a bubbly like our 2020 Three Hearts, Fizzy White Wine! This fizzy white wine has high acidity and the prickle of the bubbles acts as a palate cleanser from the salt and fat, preparing you for the next bite of chip!
Sour Cream and Onion
These chips have an onion and milk based dust that have a sharp, tangy creaminess with a nice zing. The tropical fruit flavors and kick of acidity found in Chardonnay contrasts nicely with the saltiness in this chip. Try pairing with our 2020 Peekaboo, Chardonnay!
Barbecue
Barbecue chips get their flavor from a wide range of ingredients—honey powder, onion powder, garlic powder, hickory smoke powder, barley malt powder, tomato powder and sugar. Dry Rosé, like our 2020 Pearls & Kicks, works great with these chips by bringing out the sweetness without overwhelming. Want to go bold and bring out more smokiness in the chip? Try a red wine, like our 2019 Bailando, Malbec.
Salt and Vinegar
A common rule to pairing wine and food is serving like with like. In this case, tangy with tangy! In order to match the vinegary twang in these chips, you’ll need a wine that has a good punch of acidity. Sauvignon Blanc or a Grüner Veltliner would be a great match to take on these bold tasting chips! For the perfect pair, try with our 2019 Lulo Grüner Veltliner.
Jalapeño
These spicy chips pack a punch of heat and typically do best with a sweeter wine, such as our 2020 Fissata Blonde, Fizzy White Wine. This combination works so well because the residual sugar in the wine coats the tongue, which reduces the fiery feeling in the mouth without detracting from the flavors in the wine. It even goes as far to deepen the natural fruit flavors in the wine!
Invite your friends over and try these easy pairings at your own free, at-home wine tasting! Connect with your Wine Guide or just ask us how!