As promised, I’m writing about my favorite March Madness basketball snack, which just happens to be chips & salsa. Normally, I would drink beer (Guinness, I’m Irish) while jumping from game to game, looking for one that’s NOT a blow out. But I figured, why not try wine and see how that works. As it turns out, it works pretty well; but a pint of Guinness is still my “go to” beer. Anyway, you will need a bag of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn chips and Pace Chunky Salsa (medium), both of which can be had for a very reasonable price at the Clinton Hannaford. If you have a preference for another brand of chips and/ or salsa, that’s fine. Just make sure the chips aren’t flavored and you are dipping into salsa, otherwise the pairing I suggest might not work as well.
The wine I would recommend with this yummy snack is the Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva or Gran Reserva. Either can be bought at Clinton Wine & Spirits in Billy’s price range. Assuming you do not vary too much from my “combo”, any descent chip & salsa snack will pair well with this wine. If your favorite “sports” snack is really different, like popcorn or something with a cheese dip, then drop me a line & I will suggest a more appropriate wine for you. Also, if you are planning a “party” or like multiple snacks with your game, then we should talk about a “selection” of wines. The number and type of wines would depend on your snacks. Look at my previous Food & Wine (appetizer) posts for suggestions. Otherwise, for cheese and/or sour cream “dip” based snacks, I would generally recommend an unoaked Chardonnay or a German style Riesling.
As far as the Campo Viejo goes, why does it go so well with chips and salsa? It’s the Tempranillo grape. Often referred to as the “Spanish Cab Sauv”, this grape goes extremely well with spicy food. As you may remember from post #4, this full bodied wine with a spicy finish is a blend of 3 grapes, but is primarily tempranillo. It is my go to wine when I eat Margherita pizza dipped in a very spicy sauce. The other option here might be the Argentinian Malbec, which I will profile in a later post. But my general rule of thumb still applies, with Mexican or Mexican “style” food always go with a Spanish Tempranillo from Rioja (Gran Reserva, if possible). You can’t lose!
That should be enough for Post #30. Next time, I will go back to Education and finish my tour of Italian wine regions. Be sure to check it out. Cheers!