By Nikki Scott
Your Pinterest board may be full of colorful culinary inspiration, but on busy weeknights, you may not always have time to prepare an elaborate gourmet meal for yourself from one of Gwyneth Paltrow’s carefully curated recipes. The delicately layered mason jar salads and detoxifying kale smoothies might have to wait until the kids are all safely relocated to college. But in the meantime, you have to eat. Chances are, whatever the little ones are having is going to end up on your plate as well, but that shouldn’t require sacrificing your much-deserved glass of wine with dinner. The right pairing can elevate simple sustenance to a perfectly satisfying dining experience while also letting your child (vicariously, of course) develop a sense of culture and sophistication regarding the inclusion of fine wines at the dinner table. Everybody wins.
Here are some of our favorite wines for enjoying with your kids’ favorite foods:
Meal: Cheese Pizza
Wine: Sangiovese
Pizza is the ultimate culinary uniter of generations — a meal the whole family can agree on — and an easy-going dinner deserves an easy-going wine. Sangiovese, with its pleasing acidity and red fruit notes, is a perfect match for any dish involving tomato sauce. Bonus points if pepperoni is involved.
Suggested Pairings:
2013 Monteraponi Chianti Classico
2013 Badia A Coltibuono, Chianti Classico “RS”
Meal: Chicken Fingers
Wine: Sparkling Wine
It’s no secret among wine lovers that fried chicken and Champagne is one of the most perfect marriages of food and beverage known to the universe. And there’s no reason we can’t apply this rule to the kiddie version. And there’s no need to break the bank for capital-C Champagne on a weeknight — Cava, French Crémant, or domestic bubbles will work just fine! The effervescence and searing acidity of sparkling wine create the perfect foil for crispy, juicy chicken. By the way, have you noticed we are talking a lot about acidity today? Kids like rich, buttery, fatty foods. Acidity is always important in food pairing, but it especially comes into play with these types of dishes. If you choose a wine without sufficient acidity, it will fall flat against heavy food.
Suggested Pairings:
NV Bohigas Cava Brut Reserva
NV Domaine Fouet, Crémant de Loire
Meal: Buttered Noodles
Wine: California Chardonnay
When dinner starts to get this creamy, you’re really going to need that acidity. But you’re also going to want a wine that has enough body to stand up to the richness of all that buttery noodle goodness. A California Chardonnay would be right at home here — not a heavily oaked one, but one with some substance and backbone.
Suggested Pairings:
2013 Broadside Edna Valley Chardonnay “Wild Ferment”
2014 Copain Chardonnay “Tous Ensemble”
Meal: Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla
Wine: Albariño
It’s often said that what grows together goes together, but that can make wine pairing a little bit tricky with Mexican-inspired food. While wine is certainly made in Mexico, and some of it is showing surprising promise, it doesn’t often show up on American retail shelves. Accordingly, most people opt to pair Mexican cuisine with a nice cold beer, but wine from Spain can actually be a great alternative, given the similar flavors and ingredients used in Spanish cooking. Try a refreshing Albariño, with crisp acidity, floral aromatics, and fleshy stone fruit flavors.
Suggested Pairings:
2013 Benito Santos “Igrexario de Saiar” Albariño
2014 Do Ferreiro Rías Baixas Albariño
Meal: Macaroni and Cheese
Wine: Chablis
When it comes to wine pairing, this kid favorite is like buttered noodles on steroids. With the creamy factor amped way up, you’ll want even more acidity in your wine, but you’ll still need something with a rich enough texture that it won’t be overpowered by all of that cheddar. Chablis is the perfect option — these northern Burgundian Chardonnays have just the right amount of weight on the palate, but bring an ample dose of acidity and minerality to the table to cut through all of that dairy.
Suggested Pairings:
2014 Domaine Hervé Azo, Petit Chablis
2014 Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Sainte Claire
Meal: Hamburgers
Wine: Zinfandel
A nice meaty burger calls for a red with a bit more body. Fruity, full-flavored Zinfandel is the perfect option. Opt for a drier style with moderate alcohol (aim for around 14.5% or lower) to balance out the sweetness of the accompanying ketchup.
Suggested Pairings:
2013 Bucklin, Sonoma Valley Zinfandel Bambino Old Hill Ranch
2014 Broc Cellars, Sonoma County Zinfandel Vine Starr
Meal: Chicken Meatballs
Wine: Beaujolais
Meatballs are fun, simple, and straightforward, and easy to pair with a wide variety of wines. You could go with a white or a rosé here, but perhaps the most delicious option is a juicy, easygoing Beaujolais, made from the unpretentious Gamay grape. These light, refreshing reds are best served with a slight chill — just pop one in the fridge for the short time it takes you to get dinner ready.
Suggested Pairings:
2014 Yann Bertrand, Fleurie Folie
2014 Nicole Chanrion, Côte de Brouilly
