The link between chicken wings and football dates back to the very first Super Bowl in January 1967. The addictive finger food—which was first invented at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, three years earlier—had been gaining traction in the bar scene, but it turned into a full-on sporting tradition after that first big game.
More than half a century later, for Super Bowl LVII, Americans are expected to consume a whopping 1.45 billion chicken wings. No doubt, most of those will be washed down with beer. We’re certainly not bashing that classic matchup, but we’d like to present an alternative for those who’d like to elevate their game day drinking experience. Why not reach for an expert-approved wine pairing this year?
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Whether you like your wings hot, barbecued, coated with garlic and Parmesan or any other way, there’s a bottle that can lift those drums and flats to an entirely new level. Read on for the best chicken wing and wine pairings, according to sommeliers.
The Best Wine for Buffalo Wings: Off-Dry Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Chenin Blanc
Equilibrium is key to pairing wine with Buffalo wings, which are often offered in various heat levels from mild to medium to hot.
“The goal is to have a balancing act between the butter in the sauce and the body in the wine [and between] sweet and spicy,” says Jordan Lynn Traylor, a certified sommelier, chef and wine consultant. It’s all [topped off with some nice acidity to keep the palate refreshed.”
Off-dry Riesling and Gewürztraminer are the ideal guests “when butter and hot sauce are having a party,” says Traylor. The hint of sweetness in these wines help to cool off the heat and spiciness. Plus, “they also have enough body and va-va-voom to stand up to this butter-based sauce,” she adds.
Sommelier Vanessa Price, the author of Big Macs & Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World and founder of wine lifestyle platform The Vinum Collective, recommends off-dry Chenin Blanc. Like Traylor’s picks, the sugar in these wines helps to “soften the heat,” says Price. “The bright citrus will go tang for tang, and the backbone of Chenin—acidity!—will wipe that buttery sauce clean, leaving your mouth ready for the next swig and bite.”
Wine Enthusiast recommends:
V. Sattui 2020 Off-Dry Riesling (North Coast)
This smooth, semisweet wine brings peaches and white flowers to the nose, and rich peach and honey flavors to the palate. It is soft, smooth and easygoing. It will be easy to pair with cheeses or a not-too-sweet dessert. 88 Points— Jim Gordon
$ Varies Hi-Time Wine Cellars
Sheldrake Point 2021 Estate Bottled Gewurztraminer (Finger Lakes)
Alain de la Treille 2021 Chenin Blanc (Vouvray)
This complex wine conveys apricot undertones. Lemon in color, it has an aromatic nose of green pear, Fuji apple, honeysuckle, dried hay and hints of vanilla baking spice. The slightly off-dry Vouvray is fulsome without being dominating. Best Buy. 91 Points — Reggie Solomon
$19 Wine-SearcherThe Best Wine for BBQ Wings: Rosato, Sparkling Rosé or Beaujolais
Whether it’s mustard- or vinegar-based, this regional-style sauce is so jam-packed with flavor, it requires a wine that can hold its own. Fortunately, there are a variety of styles that fit the bill.
“Barbecue is the holy grail of an amalgamation that requires a wine just as diverse,” says Price. “A rosato, also spelled rosado, offers that in spades. The hot pink styles at this end of the pink-drink spectrum have a body that is more medium to full, as opposed to the lighter styles of Provence, which is just what this hefty sauce needs to hold the line.”
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Dubose also believes that rosé is the perfect complement to barbecue wings—however, she prefers hers with bubbles. “It’s such a versatile and food-friendly style of wine and, depending on where in the world it’s coming from, there are plenty of options,” she says. “Bugey-Cerdon is a delicious option for a sweeter BBQ sauce.” The light-bodied, ancestral-method sparkling rosés from the western edge of the French Alps between the Jura and Savoie “complements the sweetness in the sauce perfectly,” she adds.
For those who prefer red wine with their barbecue, Dubose suggests a Gamay from Beaujolais. “This light- to medium-bodied wine that boasts red-fruit flavors is the perfect pairing option for BBQ wings,” she says. “Especially when it’s served with a slight chill.”
Wine Enthusiast recommends:
Rivera 2021 Pungirosa Bombino Nero Rosato (Castel del Monte)
Rose petal pink in the glass and wild strawberry candy on the nose, this rosato gains some savory depth on the palate from notes of wet, crushed rocks and a hint of cured meat, though juicy strawberry flavor remains the through line. Best Buy. 90 Points — Danielle Callegari
$ Varies Flatiron Wines & Spirits
Louis Jadot 2022 Beaujolais
The Best Wine for Lemon-Pepper Wings: Blanc de Blancs Champagne
Made with a dry rub of ground pepper, lemon zest and other seasonings, these snappy favorites are a perfect foil for bubbles. Most sparklers will pair wonderfully, but Dubose points specifically to Blanc de Blancs Champagne. “Champagne and fried chicken are one of my favorite pairings,” she says, and notes that this specific pairing is “a match made in heaven. This style of Champagne rounds out the tanginess of the wings while the citrus flavors complement each other beautifully.”
Wine Enthusiast recommends:
Legras & Haas NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Chardonnay (Champagne)
The wine is fresh and mineral driven. Its ripe fruits are intense, textured and with a fine core of dryness and acidity. The Champagne has a softer take at the end. Drink now. 90 Points — Roger Voss
$67 Wine.comThe Best Wine for Korean-Style Wings: Syrah or Bugey-Cerdon
These wings get their unique flavor from gochujang, a fermented chili paste that’s a staple in Korean cooking. It’s savory, sweet and a bit funky with medium spice (though spice levels vary between brands and recipes). These layers of flavors allow for a range of diverse pairing options.
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Sommelier Rebecca Phillips, co-owner of Buvette LA and Vintage Wine + Eats in Studio City, California, recommends accentuating the savory notes with a Syrah from France’s Northern Rhône. “It’s a little horsey and leathery and you get notes of umami, like soy sauce and beef jerky, in the wine,” she says. “When you match those notes with umami flavors, it becomes super dynamic—it’s a really good example of a matching pairing.”
On the other hand, for a contrasting pairing, Ryan Kraemer, lead sommelier of Majordomo in downtown Los Angeles, also proposes reaching for a bottle of Bugey-Cerdon, the French pét-nat-style sparkler made from Gamay and Poulsard. “The gentle sweetness and interwoven floral and fruity aromas and flavors will provide a nice counterbalance to the smoky, chili-driven spice of Korean-style wings,” he says.
Wine Enthusiast recommends:
M. Chapoutier 2020 Petite Ruche Syrah (Crozes-Hermitage)
Delightful aromatics exude brunch vibes as the nose is reminiscent of bramble jam over butter toast with bits of black licorice shaved on top. The palate offers white strawberries, pomegranate juice, rhubarb, blackberry, rose petals, green peppercorn, sweet vanilla and cardamom. Tannins are balanced by impressive acidity, making it difficult to put the glass down. 90 Points— Anna-Christina Cabrales
$ Varies Wine.comThe Best Wine for Garlic-Parm Wings: Chablis
A straightforward descriptor, garlic Parmesan wings combine garlic and Parmesan in a sauce with some kind of oil or butter. “It kind of gives me shrimp scampi vibes,” says Phillips, who suggests cutting through the richness of the sauce with a mineral-driven Chablis. “It’s still got a richness on the nose with white chalky, floral and citrus notes.”
Wine Enthusiast recommends:
Domaine Jean Dauvissat Père et Fils 2019 Chablis
Delicate notes of white blossom and lime zest gain concentration and ripeness on the palate of this approachably fruity, zesty Chardonnay. Matured 18 months on lees in stainless steel, it’s supple in texture but cut by zippy flavors of green apple and yellow plum. It’s best enjoyed young. 89 Points — Anna Lee C. Iijima
$ Varies Union Square Wine & SpiritsThe Best Wine for Mango-Habanero Wings: Off-Dry Riesling
Though mango habanero salsas likely date back to pre-Columbian times, the sweet, spicy and slightly floral-scented sauce didn’t enter the canon of chicken wing condiments until about a decade ago. It blew up nationally right around the time that Wingstop added it to the menu. Given the obvious tropical flavors, Phillips’s go-to bottle would be an off-dry Riesling from the Mosel. “You get that sweet-tart vibe on the nose and a little residual sugar to balance the habanero,” she says. “We forget how many tropical fruit notes are in Riesling—it’s kind of like a fruit salad.”
Wine Enthusiast recommends:
Willems-Willems 2021 Auf Der Lauer Feinherb Riesling (Mosel)
Published: February 1, 2024
