Junk It Up

Shelter-in-place with American classics and wine

Oregon Wine Press regular contributors offer their favorite guilty pairing pleasures.

Potato Chips + Sparkling

Fat, salt and crunch meet acidic, prickly bubbles. Pairing Champagne (or Oregon sparkling) with plain potato chips is as much about texture as it is flavor. Sure, you can pair your bubbles with nibbles of caviar from tiny forks or you can eat chips straight from the ripped-open “family size” bag, licking your fingers unapologetically. —Jade Helm

Trader Joe’s Inner Peas + Sparkling

I know it’s an illusion: Trader Joe’s Inner Peas touted as a ‘healthy’ food made from ‘real’ peas — they probably aren’t. But the crunchy, savory snack pairs perfectly with the crisp acidity of artisan sparklers from Oregon. And I feel so virtuous contemplating ‘inner peace’ with my Inner Peas, one bubble at a time. —L.M. Archer

Funyuns + Orange Wine

After a particularly long day during harvest at Vista Hills, we were racking some skin-fermented Pinot Gris and started snacking on Funyuns — about the only junk food available at the bodega at 1 a.m. We pulled a sample and enjoyed the brininess of the young wine with god knows whatever is in Funyuns. Alas, a magical pairing was born. Funky, sweet and savory somehow all mesh together. —Mark Stock

Salted Rice Krispies Treats + Riesling

Salted Rice Krispies Treats are a delightful combination of sugar, salt and fat that somehow adds up to pure comfort. The delicate balance of both creamy and crunchy takes us back to childhood and simpler times. Paired with an off-dry Riesling, this snack is next-level adult fun, bringing out new flavors in the treats like apricot, juicy peach and spicy ginger. —Tamara Belgard

Hostess Lemon Fruit Pies + Sauv Blanc

Serve Sauvignon Blanc with Hostess Lemon Fruit Pies to be worshipped as a demi-god. The pie’s yellow innards, filled with agar and deodorized hydrogenated beef tallow, are creamy lemon-drop goodness waiting to be cut by a gooseberry laser beam. —Michael Alberty  

Cheetos and Kettle Chips + Rosé

My junk food is a double shot of naughty delight: Cheetos and Kettle Brand Sea Salt & Vinegar potato chips. For sips to pair with our salty, oily starch bombs, it’s a no-brainer: crisp, dry Oregon rosé. The wine’s delightful combination of subtle fruit, flowers, melon and citrus flavors complements the “shouting” flavors of our chips — a matter of yin and yang. Delicious! —Paul Omundson