There are times when you wing it and there’s times when you pair it!
When #NationalChickenWingDay falls on #WineDownWednesday, you get to combine the best of both worlds! In Memphis, we get the bragging rights that the World Championship Hot Wing Contest & Festival calls our city home. And we’re not professional hot wing connoisseurs (you can check out the internet’s resident #SpiceLord Sean Evans from @firstwefeast for that service) ; we’ll stick to beverages thank you very much! Which is why we’re glad to share knowledge on how to pair wine to hot wings! Yes.. there’s a wine out there that can go sip for sip with whatever your hot wings of choice is!
Chicken is generally a flexible protein, so our pairing focus here is focused strictly on the toppings/sauce.
Memphis Based BBQ Sauce- Go for a Zinfandel! Zins have bold ripe blueberry, black cherry, and blackberry notes that will match with the sweetness found in BBQ sauces- no matter what secret ingredient you add in!
Spicy/Buffalo Sauces- If you’re bringing the heat on your wings, go for something off dry that has just a touch of sweetness and lower alcohol so while you’re melting your taste buds with flavor, you’re not literally burning them off your palate. Alcohol increased the perception of spicy heat, so wines like off-dry Riesling or Vinho Verde will also match the acidity of the vinegar in the sauce.
If you’re a chicken wing purest and love a naked wing—bring on the bubbles! Sparkling wines & champagne LOVE fried food and your palate will love you too for such a mind blowing pairing.
Now for the real question Memphis, who did you order wings to go from tonight? Let us know in the comments!