Taste & Terroir

Wine has long been associated with luxury. Premium ingredients, elegant presentation, and elevated experiences have been the norm, but they don’t have to be! Some of my favourite experiences have come after taking wine off its pedestal and treating it like any other beverage.

One of the greatest strengths of British Columbia wine is our tendency to produce wines with vibrant acidity and freshness. That acidity is key to pairings of all kinds, especially when discussing snack foods! So, whether a bag of chips is calling your name when you settle in for a movie or a big game, or you’re raiding the kid’s Halloween candy after they’ve gone to bed, there are plenty of opportunities to explore BC wine with what you crave.

Some key points to consider:

Acidity is your friend: Acid cuts fat and salt and balances sweetness. Regardless of what kind of snack you choose to imbibe with, they’re likely to contain a combination of salt, fat, and sugar. This isn’t a negative, but it is an important thing to consider. You need a wine with higher acidity to help blast through that richness. The best way to tell if a wine has high acidity is by how it makes your mouth feel. If your mouth starts watering intensely when you take a sip, that’s the impact of acidity.

Match intensity of flavour: Applicable for snacks and more classic food pairings. The intensity of flavour in the wine and the dish or snack needs to be relatively close. If you were to eat something very bold and intense and drink a light, delicate wine, you’d be unable to taste the wine. The same applies to the opposite, a bold wine and a delicate dish aren’t likely to work together. If you can manage to get your flavour for both in the same ballpark, that’s where magic can happen.

Get a little fruity: The sugar in snack foods can make very dry or tannic wines taste bitter and astringent. A little bit of sweetness in your wine can go a long way in complementing your chosen snack. Still, you don’t necessarily need residual sugar. The perception of sugar from ripe grapes and fruit-forward winemaking can often work wonders.

Ready to try some pairings out for yourself? Here are some to get you started:

Unsworth Vineyards Charme de l’île Rosé with Ruffles All Dressed Chips:

If you didn’t know, All Dressed is a classic Canadian flavour from Quebec à la ‘toute garnie’. The best way to describe the flavour is something like subtle BBQ sauce mixed with the tang of vinegar and a hit of sour cream & onion. The flavour is moderately intense with a nice balance of sweet and tangy, so we’re playing with sugar and acidity. You’ve probably heard ‘sparkling wine goes with everything’ and for good reason. Layers of flavour, texture from bubbles, and cleansing acidity are all great for food and even better for chips. The texture of Ruffles is a perfect foil for the bubbles here, and notes of red apple, cranberry, and strawberry give the Unsworth Charme de l’île Rosé plenty of fruit-driven complexity to match the chips. Meanwhile, the zesty, coastal vibe of the wine helps cleanse your palate with each sip.

Also try: Stoneboat Bubble Boat XIII or Evolve Cellars Pink Effervescence

JoieFarm En Famille Riesling with Starburst Original

Starburst candies are delicious little fruit bombs with flavours of cherry, strawberry, orange, and lemon and that soft taffy chew. The sweetness is important here as it will make very dry wines taste bitter. The JoieFarm En Famille Riesling comes from a vineyard in Summerland Lakefront that gets morning sun but cools down in the evening to keep its juicy acidity. That plus a little bit of sweetness is key to keeping everything in balance. With that taken care of we can play with flavour, and complementing the tropical citrus notes of the candy with the same notes in the wine makes everything pop. The Riesling adds spice notes and a floral undertone that accentuates all the fruit and takes your candy experience to an entirely different level. Plus, the finish of the wine is long enough to keep the Starburst balanced all the way through.

Also try: Four Shadows Riesling Classic or Chaberton Estate Winery Bacchus

Tantalus Chardonnay with Cool Ranch Doritos

Cool Ranch Doritos were one of my favourite chips as a kid and a guilty pleasure as an adult. Finding out they work perfectly with one of my other guilty pleasures, oaked Chardonnay, was like winning the snack pairing lottery. Cool Ranch flavour is pretty much what it sounds like, a mix of skim milk, buttermilk, herbs, and spices meant to resemble ranch dressing. Arguably the most important thing about these chips isn’t the flavour but what they’re made of, corn! Corn chips have a nuttiness and natural sweetness that you don’t get in potato chips. When you combine that with the sweet spice and toasty notes of oak in the Tantalus Chardonnay, it’s magical. The wine has a round, creamy palate that also complements the texture and character of the chips and vibrant acidity balances the salt and allows the flavours to persist without fatiguing your palate.

Also try: 50^th Parallel Estate Chardonnay or Monte Creek ‘Living Land’ Chardonnay

LaStella Winery ‘Fortissimo’ with Lay’s Sea Salt & Pepper Chips

This might seem contrary to what I talked about matching flavour intensity between the wine and food, but this pairing isn’t about trying to compete with the wine, it’s about providing an accent. In the same way that when you have a beautiful piece of meat or fish, you don’t need to mess around with a whole bunch of additional seasoning; just salt and pepper will do. The Fortissimo from LaStella is made from a blend of Bordeaux varieties and a dash of Sangiovese, then aged in large-format Hungarian/Slavonian oak puncheons. The most recent release is a dynamic young red wine with fresh, tangy red and black fruit, wild herbs, and just a whisper of oak spice. Well-balanced with layers of flavour, it’s fantastic to drink right now but still young. Adding just a little salt and pepper lifts all those existing flavours. It makes the wine not just enjoyable to drink but irresistible.

Also try: Clos du Soleil ‘Signature’ or Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc

Bordertown Winery Syrah with Snickers

Aside from the extremely satisfying alliteration of Snickers and Syrah, the pairing here is super fun. Snickers bars are nougat, peanuts, and caramel covered in milk chocolate and, I’ll admit, they’re tasty. Yes, they’re sweet and if you’ve been told that milk chocolate and red wine don’t go together, it’s generally true. There are things you can do to help that though. Opting for fruit-driven wines with good acidity and soft tannins is a good start. The Bordertown Syrah is bursting with aromas and flavours of juicy black fruit, black pepper, smoked meat, and savoury herbs. The wine is aged in American oak barrels which adds more sweet spice notes and hints of coconut. You can also play with the temperature here to change the pairing. Putting your Snickers bar in the fridge will lessen the sweetness of chocolate and give a nice crunch to the nougat and caramel. At the same time, serving the wine at room temperature like 20°C instead of a cellar temperature of 15° to 18°C will increase the richness of the wine and make it a bit fruitier.

Also try: Laughing Stock Vineyards Syrah or Stag’s Hollow Syrah

Wine news: Now that you’ve got some snack pairing inspiration, why not take your love of wine and food to the next level by visiting British Columbia wine country this fall? Each region offers a distinct vibe, and fall is the perfect time to enjoy unique events centred around wine and food. Here are just a few you won’t want to miss:

Singletree Winery (Fraser Valley)

Singletree is a family-operated winery located in Mt. Lehman, Abbotsford. For the fall and winter, they have their fabulous Cabanas or Di Vine Domes available to book Wednesday through Sunday. Go for their “Savour, Sweet and Sip” package with a tiered tray of sandwiches, cookies, cakes, and fruit specially prepared by Reddy Made Cakes, along with a winter cocktail or glass of wine. You can also book the Cabanas separately and indulge in a glass of mulled wine or spiked hot chocolate while enjoying their “S’more and Pour” package. Pick your flavour and roast marshmallows over the fire pit to make your s’mores.

Monte Creek Winery (Thompson Valley)

Monte Creek Winery outside Kamloops is the Thompson Valley’s best spot for unique events this fall. Check out one of their Candlelight Concert series to experience a live, multi-sensory musical experience under the glow of candlelight. Or join in their annual Sip & Shop Artisan Market on November 16^th & 17^th or the Holiday Artisan Market on December 7^th & 8^th where you can enjoy Monte Creek wine or mulled wine and shop all kinds of local vendors.

Burrowing Owl Winery (Okanagan Valley)

If you’re craving something more intimate, head to Burrowing Owl Winery on Wednesday evenings for their Fall Long-Table Dinner Series. Now through November 20^th, enjoy a four-course set menu highlighting ingredients from each week’s featured local supplier or farm. Guest house rooms are available for those wishing to spend the night with a continental breakfast on Thursday morning.

Whether you’re indulging in snack pairings at home or heading out to explore BC’s stunning wine regions, there’s no better time to embrace the flavours of fall. With so many fantastic wines and pairings, you’re guaranteed to find your new favourite combination.

So, grab a glass, plan your visit, and Fall for BC Wine this season.

Cheers to unique snack pairings, local experiences, and the best time of year to savour it all!

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Sean Nelson – Is one of the best and most highly acclaimed sommeliers in Canada. In 2016, he was the youngest person in Western Canada to pass the Advanced Sommelier Examination and in 2018, he was crowned BC Sommelier of the Year by the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. Sean has a deep passion and love for wine in all of its varieties and vintages. With this enthusiasm, in combination with nearly two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, he would be pleased to assist with all of your wine needs. Making dinner parties, guided tastings, or wine vacations (and more) a grape success!