Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

9 Food and Wine Pairings for Quarantine

Mark Stock
By

As you may have noticed, this isn’t exactly the time for bountiful meals of fresh produce to be shared with friends and family. This is quarantine time, which increasingly translates to less in the way of fresh goods and more in the way of non-perishable grub.

margherita pizza paired with red wine
Richard Jung/Getty Images

It sounds like rations and unsatisfied stomachs on the surface but there’s actually a lot of fun food to work with here. Part of its appeal is that it’s so often overlooked, reserved for the the day before grocery shopping or buried away in your natural disaster kit. That, or we live in a fortunate enough state that we don’t wholly depend on the stuff. Either way, when you enhance a good can of soup or frozen pizza with the right wine (which you can still get at the store, online, or perhaps through curbside pickup from your favorite bottle shop), the dish becomes more than a serving of food—it becomes a bonafide meal.

And, really, who are you trying to impress at the moment anyway? You’re either solo and talking to your pet, with your SO, or with your immediate family right now, barely clothed and badly in need of a shave. But make no mistake, good wine can and does elevate average cuisine. The following pairings are easy and surprisingly uplifting, providing a ray of non-expiring hope as you and yours navigate these strange, strange times.

Some wine and food pairings utilizing what you’ve got in the house worth exploring:

Chicken Noodle Soup

chicken noodle soup paired with pinot blanc
DNY59/Getty Images

A Pinot Blanc is a perfect choice for this bowl of feel-good-ness, playing off the savory broth flavors and adding a little springtime brightness. The Meyer-Fonne Pinot Blanc 2017 Vieilles Vignes is a great option from Alsace.

Meatloaf

Tough times call for TV dinners. Meatloaf is a popular option and unlikely to run out. Try it with a Syrah, which will pull out some of those subtle umami notes in the entree and stand up to what’s sure to be a generous serving of sodium.

Margherita Pizza

margherita pizza with suzor wine
Hidehiro Kigawa/Getty Images

The best frozen pizzas are the simplest ones and a Margherita is timeless. It might not transport you to southern Italy but it will satisfy, especially if joined by a nice pour of Gamay Noir. The medium-bodied, red fruit-driven wine is cheese and baked bread’s best friend. Try the addictive riff by Oregon’s Suzor Wines. 

Fish Sticks

Frozen fingers from the sea call for Chardonnay. Domaine Faiveley’s is classic white Burgundy, with lively lime, white flowers, and peach pie notes. It’ll make your fish sticks taste like they were caught yesterday, not last year. 

Bean and Cheese Burrito

bean and cheese burrito
Jonelle Weaver/Getty Images

When you get to the back corner of the freezer and all you have is a simple burrito, fret not. It’s made to accompany a good Sauvignon Blanc. The wine’s signature burst of tropical fruit and floral aromatics will enliven just about anything. A great bet is a bottle from Napa’s Gamble Family Vineyards. 

Top Ramen

While there are scores of flavors to choose from here, there all essentially salty so you’ll need something refreshing. We don’t need to dwell on making instant ramen as it may remind you of the uncouthness of college. But you can make it so much better. A vinho verde is more than up to the task.

Chili

chili paired with king family wine
Rocketroom/Getty Images

Canned chili packs in the protein and can be made all the better with accoutrement like Fritos, green onion, or some shredded cheese. All those hearty, spice-cabinet flavors call for a wine with some muscle, like Cabernet Sauvignon or a Bordeaux blend from up-and-coming wine destination, Virginia. The Meritage from King Family Vineyards is a solid selection. 

Mac & Cheese

The blue box blues are less so with a flexible and food-friendly Pinot Noir. A nimble and bargain-oriented one like Broadley’s 2018 Willamette Valley Pinot is ideal. Make the pasta all the better with some dried onion bits, frozen peas and pear onions, or some dried mushrooms. A little extra earthiness will be all the better with this variety.

Cool Ranch Doritos

When we’ve cleaned out or supermarket supplies and desperation truly sets in, look out for Doritos at your area gas station or bodega. And turn the snack into a dystopian, rock-bottom appetizer with a bottle of Cooks. It’s the only bottom-shelf sparkling wine that has enough sugar and cloy to stand up to these industrial-strength chips. Plus, you’ll probably find ’em both on the same aisle. 

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
This is how to mix cocktails with honey for a flavorful drink
Honey is a great way to add a little sweetness and texture to a cocktail. Here's how to mix with the stuff.
Buckwheat Honey Old Fashioned on table.

Like tasty maple syrup or demerara, honey is a great cocktail ingredient that can impart flavor and sweetness. With much more character than, say, simple syrup, honey can improve drinks across the board, from a steaming Hot Toddy to a Bee's Knees cocktail.

We like a nice dose of honey in everything from a great hot cocktail to a classic bourbon creation like an Old Fashioned. But not just any honey will do and, often, you don't just want to throw it in last minute. Instead, honey can be prepped a bit so it can enter a drink seamlessly. Moreover, you can source some delicious higher-end honey that will offer lovely floral components and easy-to-mix-with flavors. Here's how to mix cocktails with honey.

Read more
The ultimate guide to world-class seafood paella, according to an executive chef
Chef Miguel Molina of La Pulperia NYC shares his culinary insight on the perfect seafood paella
Paella from La Pulperia.

Perfectly al-dente rice flush with fresh shellfish, a properly made seafood paella is one of the greatest foods in the world. This delicacy from Valencia, Spain, is the perfect dish for a festive gathering, a fun family meal, or a romantic dinner for two. While it can be made with poultry and game meat in Spain, some of the most popular versions of paella often lean heavily into seafood.

At La Pulperia, a pan-Latin American restaurant in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, they've mastered the seafood paella. Executive Chef Miguel Molina is a native of Guerrero, Mexico, and is lending his creativity and culinary background to the restaurant menu, which includes a stellar paella made with black squid ink. The food here is a blend of cultures, combining influences from Latin and South American countries like Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico, creating totally distinctive flavor combinations. So what better guide is there to help us on the journey of making a world-class paella?
The foundation: The rice
Octopus paella from La Pulperia in NYC.

Read more
How to make Ranch Water the right way for a day-drinking gem
Looking for a refreshing beverage suitable for functional day-drinking? Search no more, ranch water is here.
Refreshing Cold Tequila Ranch Water Cocktail with Lime.

If there was ever a beverage built for day drinking, it's Ranch Water. The simple cocktail, born in Texas, can take the sting out of the hottest days and refresh you to the core, without knocking you out with an abundance of alcohol.

We're still hibernating our way through winter but the days are getting longer and, soon enough, the warmth will return. When that happens, you'd be wise to have some Ranch Water on hand for you and yours. Lighter than a Margarita and far more interesting than plain water, the drink resides in a happy middle ground. Better, it'll tackle your thirst and keep you functional.

Read more