Tonight’s the Night

Your best wine doesn’t require a fancy dinner

By Aakanksha Agarwal

The best bottle in your cellar doesn’t need a luxurious filet mignon. Sometimes a bag of chips proves to be outstanding.

For years, food and wine culture dictated our best bottles be reserved for elaborate meals and special occasions. Sparkling wine with lobster, Cabernet Sauvignon and steak. Riesling with foie gras or spicy Thai or Vietnamese dishes.

As chef de cuisine at Stoller Family Estate, Matt Case spends his days creating dishes to complement Oregon wines. But when it comes to pairing at home, he believes, “People complicate wine pairing. Our default questions are ‘Should I match sweet with sweet? Should I pair high acid with high acid?’ Yeah, that works, but the opposite is often more fun.”

Instead of focusing on luxury ingredients, Case considers texture, acidity, salt and fat. The goal isn’t to impress dinner guests but to elevate and enhance both the food and wine. He champions unconventional pairings that make perfect culinary sense.

Take potato chips and sparkling wine. “The crisp bubbles and bright acidity slice through the chips’ salt and oil, cleansing the palate after every bite– and making each handful taste as satisfying as the first,” explains Case. It’s a pairing long embraced by sommeliers and simple to recreate on the couch during movie night.

Or consider the humble hot dog, particularly those sold at Costco.

A hot dog topped with mustard, relish or ketchup may not sound worthy of a carefully crafted bottle, but Case notes how those familiar condiments create layers of sweetness, acidity and tang that can make a crisp Riesling or Grüner Veltliner shine.

“If we’re talking fast food,” he quips, “that’s the kind of pairing I like best.”

Mac and cheese is another favorite. Rather than reaching for a heavy red, Case prefers a wine with enough acidity to pierce the richness of aged cheddar and cream. A lively Riesling refreshes the palate between bites while allowing the cheese’s savory character to remain the star.

Fried foods get their moment in the sun, as well. Chicken nuggets or strips may seem too simple to warrant a serious bottle, but Case argues their mild flavor makes them the ideal blank canvas. Add a side of ranch, he suggests, and reach for an herbaceous Cabernet Franc. The wine’s herbal notes, expressive fruit and structured tannins complement the dressing’s creamy, savory character, transforming a childhood favorite into an unexpectedly sophisticated pairing. “If I’m going to eat a chicken nugget,” he confesses, “I want to go hard.”

Speaking of childhood favorites, creamy cheeses, such as humble Babybel rounds or string cheese, can be delicious paired with a fruit-driven Pinot Noir. Soft tannins complement the dairy’s richness while bright berry flavors keep the match lively. The appeal of high-low pairings isn’t about irony, nor is it about proving expensive wine belongs beside inexpensive food. “It’s about removing the pressure surrounding wine. Too often, people save special bottles for the ‘right’ occasion, waiting months– or even years– for a dinner worthy of opening them,” observes Case.

Some of wine’s greatest pleasures can occur on an ordinary Tuesday evening, when dinner is whatever is in the refrigerator or picked up on the way home. Case even admits a Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco enjoyed with an aromatic Riesling is “so good,” pointing to the interplay of spice, salt and bright acidity.

Need some inspiration? Here are six wines that prove extraordinary bottles can elevate even the most ordinary comfort foods.

Syncline Winery 2025 Grüner Veltliner + Costco Hot Dog

Don’t overthink this one. Syncline Winery’s 2025 Grüner Veltliner, the winery’s second commercial vintage of the variety, offers tart lime, green apple, white pepper and mouthwatering acidity in the glass. Those flavors make it a natural match for a Costco hot dog; the wine slices through the sausage’s richness while echoing the tang of mustard and relish.

Stoller Family Estate Dundee Hills Brut Sparkling Wine + Fried Chicken

Bubbles at a picnic table? Yes, please! Stoller’s non-vintage Estate Dundee Hills Brut proves Oregon sparkling wine can stand alongside the world’s best. Crafted in the traditional méthode champenoise style, the wine is fermented in neutral French oak before spending extended time aging on its lees in the bottle. It has layers of Golden Delicious apple, candied lemon peel, elderflower, white peach and a touch of honey, all carried by fine, persistent bubbles and nervy acidity.

Pair it with crispy fried chicken or chicken strips. The wine’s acidity and lively mousse are an ideal foil for the crunchy, golden coating, while citrus and orchard fruit lift the juicy meat and refresh the palate.

Illahe 1899 Estate Pinot Noir + Pepperoni Pizza

Illahe’s 1899 Estate Pinot Noir is unlike any other Oregon wine. Produced using only 19th-century techniques, the grapes are harvested by hand, transported by horse, destemmed using bicycle power, fermented with native yeasts and processed in a traditional basket press, all without electricity. The result is a beautifully expressive Pinot Noir layered with abundant cherry and raspberry, subtle baking spice, earthy complexity and silky tannins. It deserves to be savored but not saved for a special occasion.

Pour a glass alongside a pepperoni pizza, where the wine’s acidity punctures the gooey cheese, its earthy notes complement the crisp crust and spice plays off the pepperoni.

Adelsheim Vineyard 2025 Artist Series Rosé of Pinot Noir + Mac and Cheese

Who says rosé is only for charcuterie boards? Try it with mac and cheese.

Adelsheim’s 2025 Artist Series Rosé of Pinot Noir bursts with fresh strawberry, raspberry, watermelon and citrus, finishing with exuberant acidity and a refreshing mineral edge. It meets its equal in creamy mac and cheese. The rosé’s acidity counters the richness of buttery, cheddar-laden pasta, while its bright red fruit keeps the combination balanced.

Björnson Vineyard 2025 Chenin Blanc + Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese deserves more than tomato soup once in a while. Sourced from the family’s Pamar Vineyard in the Van Duzer Corridor appellation, Björnson’s Chenin Blanc is fermented in a concrete egg and aged on the lees, creating a silky texture without sacrificing acidity. Notes of lemon tea, poached pear, candied ginger, orange blossom and a touch of white chocolate unfold over a crisp, mineral-driven finish.

Paired with a classic grilled cheese, the wine’s elevated acid levels balance the buttery, melted cheese, while its subtle richness echoes the sandwich’s golden, toasted crust. Yum.

Caprio Cellars 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon + BBQ Potato Chips

Sometimes an exceptional match comes in a crinkly bag. Caprio Cellars’ 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted from estate-grown Walla Walla Valley fruit, layering ripe blackberry, cassis and dark plum with hints of cedar, baking spice and dark chocolate, all framed by polished tannins. Pair it with a bag of barbecue potato chips. The magic is in the contrast: smoky-sweet seasoning echoes the wine’s spice, while the salt softens the tannins and makes the fruit taste even more vibrant.

Happy hour at home, anyone?

Aakanksha Agarwal is a wine, travel and lifestyle writer from India. Formerly a Bollywood stylist, she now resides in the U.S., embracing writing full-time while juggling family life and indulging in her passions for cuisine, literature and wanderlust.