With our hurried lifestyles, many of us turn to takeout for dinner during the week. But just because it’s a Chinese night doesn’t mean you have to settle for soda or beer. Finding the right wine to open once you get home with those ever popular “to-go” dinners can make a drive-through meal feel like sit-down dining.
This week features pairings for burgers, Mexican and Italian. Next week we’ll cover Asian, Indian and Thai.
Burgers are an easy pairup with robust reds. It’s not just the beef that harmonizes but the array of cheeses ranging from classic American to the gourmet offerings of blue, Stilton or havarti. Choosing a zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon or malbec over lighter styles allows the wines an opportunity to complement and not compete.
THE VALUE
- 2008 Gnarly Head Zinfandel, California 9 (about $14 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2009 Layer Cake Malbec, Australia (about $22 retail)
There are plenty of matches that work well with the spicy, bold flavors of Mexican dishes. Tacos and burritos can be filled with practically any meat, fish or vegetable, all allowing for great versatility and wine pairing. Seafood: Pinot grigio, Riesling or sauvignon blanc. Meat: Pinot noir, sangiovese or malbec. Chicken: Pinot noir, merlot or sangiovese
THE VALUE
- 2008 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo, Chile (about $12 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2008 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Pinot Noir, California (about $28 retail)
Consider the meat and sauce when it comes to paring Italian dishes and pizza with wine. For hearty red sauces or meat lovers’ pizza topped with Canadian bacon, sausage, or beef, look for more hearty robust reds such as Barbera, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz or sangiovese. For light sauces, vegetarian or seafood toppings stay with mediumbodied styles of chardonnay, pinot noir or sauvignon blanc.
THE VALUE
- 2009 Jacob’s Creek Shiraz, Australia (about $9 retail)
THE SPLURGE
- 2009 Monkey Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand (about $20 retail)