It's Time To Start Drinking This Wine With Doritos

Do you think that fine wine has to be paired with fancy food? Think again. In an interview with The Takeout, Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis went so far as to suggest you should pair your next glass of riesling with a bag of Doritos.

Fallis is the creator of Planet Grape Wine Review, a site that provides "short, non-technical (wine) reviews for regular people." She singled out Doritos and riesling as a dream team because of how the distinctive, strong flavors of the chips and the popular white wine play off each other. Fallis observed, "Doritos are bold, spicy, and very salty in addition to having a bit of 'chew.' A nicely chilled, very tangy, and sweet-tart riesling refreshes and quenches the palate and encourages another bite."

Fallis is a huge riesling fan, calling it "The world's greatest white variety" on Planet Grape. She notes on the site that riesling has relatively low alcohol content. Plus, if you're only an occasional wine drinker, a bottle of riesling is cost-efficient, as it will keep for months after uncorking. She also told The Takeout, "I love high-low pairings in general," so it makes sense that Fallis recommends pairing her favorite white wine with Doritos. And as Fallis noted above, pairing spicy Doritos with the acidic sweetness of riesling makes for a delicious, balanced flavor combo.

German rieslings can be dry, sweet, or somewhere in the middle. These wines are categorized based on the ripeness of the grapes and the amount of sugar in the finished product. The sugar content in riesling helps balance the wine's natural high acidity, letting its fruity, citrus-forward flavors shine through. Because of that high acidity and refreshing taste, rieslings are often paired with spicy, complex food flavors. A sip of riesling can balance the heat and heft of classic Indian, Thai, and Cajun dishes.

Viewed from this perspective, the pairing of Doritos and riesling makes a lot more sense. Simply put, the acidic, sweet riesling flavor cuts through the bold Doritos spice, making it easy for the diner to eat more chips. If you'd like to try this yourself, choose your favorite Doritos variety or sample a potentially underrated Doritos flavor and see how it complements a glass of riesling.

Modern wine drinkers are pushing the boundaries of traditional food and wine pairings, experimenting with unconventional combos of bold-flavored foods and crisp, refreshing wines. In recent years, former NFL players have opened their own wineries — and made their suggestions for pairing wine with your Super Bowl spread. In Los Angeles, Walt's Bar has experimented with pairing fine wines with hot dogs.

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. When asked if there are any other salty snacks that pair well with wine, Catherine Fallis responded, "Is the sky blue?" Fallis also noted that, as a sommelier, her perspective is that the wine can transform the food you eat with it. "We aim to elevate the dish by adding a wine that will really take the dish to the next level," she explained. That bag of Doritos will surely feel fancier when consumed with a lovely glass of riesling.