Duane's Wine Blog

This week’s post is another popular “one pot” meal, chili! There are many different ways to prepare this common meal and everyone seems to have their own “twist”. So, if yours is particularly unusual, let me know; I may need to recommend a different wine for you. Otherwise, I’m going to profile a basic version and then talk about a common option. As is usually the case, all of the ingredients necessary can be purchased at the Clinton Hannaford for a reasonable amount of money. Here is the list: Cento tomato puree, Hannaford petit cut diced tomatoes, Hannaford low sodium black beans, Bush’s dark red kidney beans, Del Monte whole kernel corn, and Gardein plant-based ground be’f (you could sub in regular ground beef). We both felt that this plant-based ground be’f tasted just like the real thing.

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The wine I would recommend depends on how “spicey” you like your chili. If you are inclined to go with my wife’s ingredients and keep the spices simple, then I would recommend a mellow French Bordeaux blend, like Chateau Gigault’s Cuvee Viva 2015. If you are inclined to go a bit “spicer”, then I would recommend a Burgundian Pinot Noir, like Maison Chanzy’s Mercurey les Bussieres 2019. If you REALLY like to spice things up, then you need to get out of France and go with something more aggressive like an Argentinian Malbec, preferably one from Mendoza. All three of these wines can be purchased at Clinton Wine & Spirits, either at the high end of Billy’s or Steve’s price range.

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Why these wines with chili? If you have been reading my previous posts then you already know the answer to this one; it’s the primary protein and the sauces that determine the wine. Much like the American Goulash from a previous post, you have ground beef and tomatoes. Throw in the beans, especially the kidney beans, and you are headed towards the Cab/ Merlot or red bend end of the spectrum. In this case, a nice Bordeaux blend would do. Many reasonably priced Bordeaux blends can be bought at most liquor/wine stores, just try to keep in mind what I said about Bordeaux in my last post. If your tastes in chili tend towards the spicey, then you will probably want to go towards a Burgundian Pinot; still mellow, but a bit more acidic. Otherwise, you might want to give an Argentinian Malbec a try. Malbecs go great with spicey food and this South American “Cab-like” red would pair well with a flavor forward chili. I will have more to say about Malbecs in a future post. For now, when shopping, just make sure it’s from Mendoza or the Uco Valley.

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That should be enough for this week’s post. Next week’s will be another general “Wine Education” Post. Cheers!