Snacks & Wine Pairing
Updated July 19th 2023
Snacks that go with wine are not always easy to find. Wine and snacks can be a great match, but you need to take into consideration the flavors involved when you are pairing wine and snacks. Here you will find the best wine pairings for your favorite snacks, including chips, charcuterie, cheese and olives.
Most people love to eat snacks with their wine before or after dinner. If you are hosting a party, or just want to learn more about wine pairing, this guide about snacks that go with wine is perfect for you. If you are organizing a tasting, you might want to learn which are the best appetizers for wine tasting. It's important to take into consideration contrasting flavors when pairing wine and snacks, otherwise the flavors of the snacks might overwhelm the wine.
About snacks and wine pairing
When you pair wine and food (including snacks!) you need to take into consideration the characteristics of both the wine and the food to create a balanced combination. Does it sound complicated? In fact, it does not have to be very difficult. Just follow a few rules of thumb:
- Fat + High Acidity = great combination. Fatty snacks like chips or charcuterie will pair well with wines with high acidity (both white, red and sparkling).
- Salt + Mineral & High Acidity = great combination. Salty snacks pair very well with crisp white wines with mineral aromas and high acidity (such as Albariño/Alvarinho or Chablis).
- Spicy + Sweetness = great combination. Spicy and flavorful snacks, for example, chili nuts or nachos, go well with white wines with a certain sweetness (Riesling is a good choice). The sweetness in the wine balances the heat in the food.
- Herbs + Herbaceous wine = great combination. Snacks with herbs, such as marinated olives, pairs very well with crisp herbaceous wines (like Sauvignon Blanc eller Cabernet Franc).
Tips! The best wine and snack pairings are also a matter of personal taste. Why not try your favorite wine with your favourite snack?
Chips with Champagne (and many more!)
Chips are probably the most popular snack, and luckily they go very well with wine. Chips pair best with fresh and acidic wines. The acidity in the wine cuts through the fat in the chips, which creates a delicious match. The perfect wine pairing for chips is Champagne, but other sparkling wines such as Prosecco are also a good choice.
Chips with unoaked chardonnay is another classic snack pairing because of the wine's good acidity level. Other white wines with high acidity, like Sauvignon Blanc, will also pair well with chips.
If you like spicy chips with chili flavor, you can pair them with a wine that has some sweetness, like Riesling.
If you want to have red wine together with your chips, make sure to choose one with high acidity. Chips are in fact a great example of a snack that pairs well with Cabernet Sauvignon. As long as the wine has good acidity you can choose among a wide range of wines!
Charcuterie with Beaujolais, Rosé Wine or Cabernet Franc
A charcuterie board usually consists of a variety of cured meats, and sometimes cheeses. Charcuterie pairs very well with a wide range of wines, but especially with light red wines or rosé wines with high acidity. Charcuterie usually goes well with light-bodied red wines, such as Beaujolais or Pinot Noir. Rosé wines, both still and sparkling, are great with different types of charcuterie. If you want a more full-bodied red wine, Cabernet Franc is a great choice.
Tips! When pairing charcuterie with wine, an easy rule to remember is to match the color of the meat with the color of the wine.
Cheese Platter with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir or Viognier
When it comes to pairing cheese and wine, it really depends on the type of cheese that you are going to be eating. There are hundreds of different cheese types and they differ a lot from each other. The majority of cheeses are good to eat with a white wine with high acidity. A classic Sauvignon Blanc snack pairing is goat cheese.
If you are having a cheese platter with different types of cheese, a white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or a light-bodied red like Pinot Noir are good choices. A more full-bodied white wine like Viognier is also a good choice for a cheese platter.
Tips! If you want to know more about wine and cheese pairing, we recommend you to read our wine and cheese pairing guide.
Salty Crackers with Chenin Blanc
Just like chips, salty crackers pair well with light and acidic wines with minerality, although crackers are usually not as fatty as chips. Good pairings include:
- Chenin Blanc
- Pinot Grigio
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Chablis
- Albariño/Alvarinho
- Vinho Verde
Popcorn with Oaked Chardonnay
Popcorn comes in different styles, but the popular butter-flavored style goes best with wines with high acidity.
- Butter popcorn pair best witn an oaked Chardonnay because the creaminess from the wine will perfectly match the flavors from the popcorn.
- Salty, neutral popcorn pairs well with crisp, mineral white wines with high acidity such as Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio.
- Sweet popcorn is best paired with a wine with higher sweetness such as a Riesling or Zinfandel Rosé.
Nachos with Prosecco
Nachos with dip or guacamole are popular snacks with some spiciness. They go well with acidic wines with a hint of sweetness, such as Prosecco and Riesling. Crémant de Loire or Sauvignon Blanc will also be a good match.
Nuts with Sauvignon Blanc
If you are looking for healthy snacks with wine, nuts are a good choice. Nuts go well with a wide range of wines, both red and white, but especially wines with high acidity. Good choices for your nutty snacks are:
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Pinot Noir
- Oaked Chardonnay
- Cabernet Franc
- Prosecco
Tips! Make sure to chose a wine with a touch of sweetness if you are having spicy chili nuts.
Olives with Rosé Wine
Olives and wine are often served together and they can be a great match. Olives pair best with acidic, dry and herbaceous wines such as a rosé from Provence or a Sauvignon Blanc. If you want to drink red wine, try a Pinot Noir or a Cabernet Franc.
Enjoy your wine and snacks!
