Look, it’s easy for wine snobs to pop open a bottle and want to pair it with the finest of cheese or some extravagant meal – and there’s nothing wrong with that. But there is a growing amount of people, particularly the younger crowd of wine lovers that want to pair their wines with current trendy items, sweets and other less involved dishes. They want something simple that will bring out the flavours of the wine and really make the experience enjoyable. I’m glad that there is a growing amount of people that recognize these experiences, so much so that they included this seminar at the recent Whistler Cornucopia.

whistler cornucopia--guilty pleasures

Sommelier and Wine Consultant Rachelle Goudreau led the workshop as we explored 9 different wines and their junk food pairings.

La Marca Prosecco, paired with salt and vinegar chips. This was a great combination – the crispness and bubbles of the wine help balance the sour vinegary flavour. The prosecco was on the drier side and was easy to drink. This was definitely one of our favourites.

whistler cornucopia--guilty pleasures

Tantalus Riesling, paired with Bags of Pigs chicharron. The sweetness of the wine helped offset the spicy, fatty flavour of the crispy pork.

Painted Rock Chardonnay, paired with Cheese Puffs. The wine is quite dry and has a notable oak flavour. The wine went together well with the cheese puffs.

TIME Rose, paired with ketchup chips. The rose was soft and sweet with berry notes, we felt that they were a bit too sweet and not enough acidic balance between the two.

Lini910 Lambrusco, paired with pepperoni sticks. This sparkling red was interesting and very drinkable and flavourful. It paired lovely with the rich, bold flavour of the pepperoni. This was one of our favourites.

whistler cornucopia--guilty pleasures

Raza Reserve Malbec, paired with Doritos nacho cheese. This pairing was fantastic. The ripe, bold fruit flavour went well with the spicy Doritos.

Monte da Baia Tinto, paired with dark chocolate. We really liked this pairing and thought it was the perfect dessert. Neither had too much sweetness but both have strong flavours.

Gonzalez Byass Nutty Solera, paired with mixed nuts. This pairing worked really well together, the sherry had a nutty caramel flavour that went well with the salty nuts.

Gonzalez Byass Apostoles, paired with caramel milk chocolate. This pairing were quite sweet, but great for dessert. The sherry had a nutty, raisin flavours that complimented the chocolate.

This seminar was fun and very approachable, we’d recommend it if you’re looking for an introduction to wine, or something a little different than the norm.

More Info: http://whistlercornucopia.com/event-detail/?slug=guilty-pleasures-wine-and-junk-food