Late last month, Alexandra Price, sommelier at London’s Bar Crispin, caused a stir when she told BigHospitality her “favourite food and drink pairing” is “Grand Cru Chablis and a Big Mac.” It’s gone so far as The Daily Mail “reporting” it in a very vaguely finger wagging way and led to follow up interviews.
Price went on to explain, “There’s just something quite naughty and decadent about pairing a good Chablis with a Big Mac. The high acid and mineral profile of Chablis seems to cut through the fattiness of the burger and turns something everyday into a special occasion.”
The Soho somm is far from the first to point out their love for fast food paired with fine wine. Famously, Madonna has stated that her favorite guilty pleasure is “French fries and Krug rosé.” Director of Krug Champagne House Oliver Krug responded to her comments shortly after and admitted that he liked drinking Krug with a burger or fish and chips. Though, he did disagree with one aspect of Madonna’s sentiments – “You don’t need to feel guilty when you drink Krug,” he joked.
Furthermore, wine and food outlets the world over have been dropping fast food and wine pairing suggestions for years. Some of our favorites:
Panda Express’ Kung Pao Chicken and Riesling – Glass Half Full
Josh Lit, the wine director of Gotham Bar & Grill in NYC, loves to pair a California Cabernet with a Wendy’s Bacon Cheeseburger, claiming that “the hamburger meat and bacon go great with the dark fruit and earthy Cabernet undertones, and the classic lettuce and tomato add just the right amount of crispiness to bring out the wine’s acidity.” – Insider
Filet-O-Fish & Austrian Blaufränkisch – Grub Street
Meanwhile, if you’re looking to enjoy some Champagne this upcoming season, you might want to purchase it early. That’s because strong demand for Champagne is likely to cause some shortages toward the end of 2021, agents have warned.