Yes, McDonald's Can Be Paired With Wine

One culinary trend we've seen a lot of lately is what is known as high-low pairings, which means when you consume something traditionally seen as fancy alongside something a little more lowbrow. Over the past few years, we've learned that you can drink wine with Doritos and also potato chips (here's a flavor pairing guide for the latter) and that potato chips and caviar (as well as Doritos and caviar) is also a thing. What about McDonald's and wine, though? Yep, that's a go, too (although we're still unsure about McDonald's and caviar). According to Lexi Stephens, eponymous founder of Lexi's Wine List, "Fast food and wine is a fantastic high-low pairing."

You needn't keep strictly to the high-low dichotomy, either, since, as Stephens said, "The price of the wine shouldn't matter." That means you can pair your meal with some fancy vintage if you want to, or stick with a more budget-friendly bottle of Winking Owl (which, to be honest, may well cost less than a McDonald's burger and fries). "If it's a good pairing that works for you," noted Stephens, "that's all that matters."

Lexi Stephens offered a few words of advice when it comes to picking the right wine to accompany your Golden Arches takeout (since you probably can't drink wine on-premises). "Evaluate the food's acidity, flavor intensity, and spice level," she said, adding "Flavor intensities should be matched so the wine doesn't overpower the food and vice versa." She also noted that more acidic wines go better with fatty foods, while sweeter (or at least off-dry) wines should be paired with spicy foods for a less intense alcohol burn.

When we asked for specific suggestions, Stephens recommended drinking sparkling wine with both fries and McNuggets, admitting if she had but one menu item to pick, "I would definitely choose fries and pair them with champagne." Big Macs, she feels, are better suited to chillable light-bodied red wines such as grenache or gamay, explaining: "The acidity will work against the fatty burger and it won't overpower the dish." As for the Egg McMuffin, she said this would be best with either prosecco or rosé, describing these wines as perfect for brunch. She also thinks a dessert wine would pair nicely with the baked apple pie, with her pick being a late-harvest one. Her feeling is that the sugary pie might make a drier wine taste bitter in contrast.