Nothing like kicking back at the end of a long day with some scrumptiously crunchy fried chicken and a nice glass of … red wine? Yes, you heard us right. While this might not be the classic drink pairing for fried chicken — like sweet tea or a nice light beer — there’s a whole world of red wine pairings that can take your meal to the next level. To get some guidance on the matter, Food Republic turned to Joe Mele of The Wine Pair podcast.
For Mele, knowing what to drink starts with knowing what not to drink. “You want to stay away from big, heavy reds, so immediately out are cabernet sauvignon, Bordeaux blends, malbec, syrah, and merlot,” Mele says. “They are just going to overpower the chicken and you won’t taste anything except wine and grease.”
When it comes to finding the right pairing, it’s important to consider what the drink is actually contributing to the meal. “Wines that are high in acidity with soft tannins and medium body … are going to pair really well with the fried chicken. The acidity cuts through the fat, and complements the spicy and salty flavors really well.” Because of that, Mele recommends pinot noir and Beaujolais as two red varieties that work especially well — particularly when served slightly chilled.
The best sparkling red wine to pair with fried chicken
When it comes to wine and fried chicken, Joe Mele’s favorite choice is an unexpectedly bougie one: Champagne. He calls any brut sparkling wine “the ultimate pairing,” whether it’s Champagne, cava, or similar varietals from around the world, as long as it’s not sweet. “The bubbles add an extra element of perfection to the pairing because they help to cleanse the tongue, which is great for a greasy meal like fried chicken,” he says.
For those who prefer red wines to white, Mele considers lambrusco the perfect choice. Not only does it pair well with greasy fried chicken, but it’s also a strategic red wine match for spicy food — especially when chilled — and a great option alongside hearty, savory dishes like juicy all-beef burgers.
For those unfamiliar, lambrusco is a sparkling red from Tuscany that comes in a range of sweetness levels. Lambrusco salamino tends to be the sweetest of the popular varietals and should be avoided for these specific pairings. Instead, lambrusco di sorbara is lighter and more delicate, making it the ideal option.
Mele leaves off with one final piece of advice when picking out your bottle. “The tricky thing in sparkling wines is that when a sparkling wine says it is ‘dry’ on the label, that actually means it is on the sweeter side. You want a brut which has little to [no] residual sugar.”
