Fried Chicken and Sparkling Wine: A Perfect Punk Pairing.
There is something romantic about the perfect pairing, the elegant way flavors play together to create a mixture more delicious and exciting than the parts on their own. Now and again, a pairing stands above the rest. Like a perfect song, it hits all the right notes at precisely the right time. For me, this ideal duo is sparkling wine and fried chicken.
The combination of rich, fatty fried chicken flavors and crisp, bright sparkling wine is elegantly punk. I am not alone in loving this; in fact, the legendary rock god Dave Grohl has said it is his favorite post-gig snack. And it’s not just rock gods and dorky drink columnists who enjoy the pairing. I asked three of our region’s brightest wine minds about what makes fried chicken and sparkling wine such a hit.
“Wine with plenty of acidity is the perfect pairing to cut through the salt, fat, and oil in fried chicken — one of the reasons sparkling wine is a great choice for this meal,” says Michelle Witherwax, fine wine district manager for national wholesaler Breakthru Beverage Group. “The bubbles and acid in sparkling wine cut through grease like a machete through the jungle, making every morsel just as good as that first, ultra-satisfying bite right when the chicken comes out.”
It’s this idea of acid and fat that makes this pairing both refreshing and fun. The acid in wine is one of the four primary traits of its flavor. It gives the wine the tart, bright flavors perfect for dishes such as fried chicken. The difference between tart and bitter is vital to understand when tasting alcohol; tartness calls to mind the idea of lemonade, whereas bitterness evokes that of a hoppy beer. Acidic tartness can be used as a winemaking tool to create balance in the glass. Without it, our wines would taste flat and uninteresting.
But what wine do we pick for our fried chicken? I asked Brian Lalor, wine director of Reno’s Whispering Vine Wine Co., for some direction.
“Oftentimes wrongly considered only a special occasion wine, or as a key ingredient in mimosas, sparkling wines’ true talent as a food pairing gets overlooked,” he says. “Sparkling rosé works well with chicken thighs because pinot noir pairs well with dark meats. Champagnes, blanc de blancs, or cuvées in general work well with chicken breast; you need something a little cleaner to not overpower the breast.”
Now, if you are like me and you like your fried chicken with a little bit of heat or hot sauce, follow this advice from Ty Martin, owner of Craft Wine & Beer in Reno.
“My cup has got to be filled to the brim with cold lambrusco,” Martin says. “It’s like adult grape soda — purple, fruit-driven juice with scrubbing bubbles, a snappy finish, and the drier the better. A little sweetness to balance Nashville heat is just the ticket for me.”
So whether it’s classic fried or spicy chicken, get yourself a bottle of bubbles and turn up some music. I promise it will be a combo that will get stuck in your head.
Michael C. Moberly is a spirits educator and creative consultant. His 14 years in the industry have been spent learning, loving, and imbibing with some of its best minds, both locally and nationally. He also is good at wearing hats.
