A Sloucher’s Pairing: Pizza

Let’s be honest we don’t come home from work, open a bottle of wine, pour a glass, and plan some fancy meal to pair with that glass. I’m sure we’d all love that, but it’s not reality. More likely we come home, we’re exhausted, and we really just want to slouch back and chill. We’re slouchers and that’s okay. Unfortunately, its feeding time and we have to do something. Luckily, unlike what the old school wine industry marketing veterans would like you to believe, wine does pair with everyday foods. So, after you’ve worked hard all day and you want that one temporary satisfaction of food arriving on your doorstep rather than going out to hunt or gather you’re in luck - you can still pair a good glass of wine with your dinner. In this new series I’m going to pick a common food that we probably shouldn’t eat, but we all do, and pair it with Slouch Hat’s As You Were Sauvignon Blanc and Parade Rest Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre (GSM).

Let’s start with the original “I didn’t plan dinner and I’m too tired to figure it out” food: pizza. Long gone are the days of minimal pizza options – cheese, pepperoni, sausage, supreme, veggie, and meat lovers. Nowadays we have options. Pizza has gotten fancy, but for the purposes of this series we’re going to keep simple. Let’s dig in.

Parade Rest Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre (GSM)

Sausage or a supreme pizza would be my top choices. Pepperoni is a great option too, but it really depends on your spice tolerance. Most pepperoni pizzas aren’t very spicy. However, alcohol intensifies the spiciness in foods. Especially if the wine is tannic – what dries your mouth out when your drinking red wine. Luckily the Parade Rest GSM is not a very tannic wine, but if your tolerance to spice is low, it’s best to avoid pairing it with pepperoni pizza. A sausage or supreme pizza would be perfect.

As You Were Sauvignon Blanc

On the simple side of things: cheese or veggie lovers. A nice crisp Sauvignon Blanc will pair wonderfully with a cheesy, veggie pizza. Although you’re eating a pizza, you may actually feel healthy with all the veggies and a glass of white wine. If you’re feeling basic, though, a cheese pizza is basically just having a wine and cheese night. What can be wrong about that? To add a good rule of thumb: most things with a white sauce will pair well with the As You Were Sauvignon Blanc.

Now, the next time you get home from work, open the fridge, and utter a couple of naughty words when you notice the fridge is empty, do not fret. As long as you have a bottle of Slouch Hat’s As You Were Sauvignon Blanc or Parade Rest GSM and internet service you will be all set for a nice relaxing dinner with fantastic wine pairings. Cheers!

M.P. Fowler

Owner & Chief Sloucher

Slouch Hat Wines