National French Fry Day & Wines to Match

Those who know me well, know that I have an unconditional love for potatoes. Whether they’re sweet, mashed or fried – my palate simply can’t get enough of them. My muffin top may not agree, but hey, a glass or two of champagne and that shuts her up pretty quick smart! Thanks to our friends over at Just In Time Gourmet, they have put together a World Food Days Calendar which brought it to my attention that it’s National Fry Day today (well in America)!

Of course, the Aussies love to claim things for themselves – being a Kiwi I know this well 😉 – so thanks to Lord of the Fries they are saying we need to also celebrate this fabulous day here in Australia. I can’t help but agree. So today on the blog I wanted to share with you some of my favourite wine and fries pairings! If you don’t have dinner plans yet then let this guide help you – and if you’re a bit late to the party, I see nothing wrong with celebrating Fries Day tomorrow either.

Your Normal French Fry or Hot Chip

Seriously I cannot go past champagne or sparkling with hot chips. They work so well together and will completely satisfy a wine & potato lover like myself. The acidity and bubbles cut through all that carby-goodness so well. The pillowy potato encompassed by that nice crispy outer layer is a match made in heaven for bubbles. This is a no-fail wine and food match in my opinion (tried and tested too many times to count).

Fries & Tomato Sauce/Ketchup

A Sangiovese (aka a Chianti) is my go-to wine match when I know I am going to smoother a bowl full of chips with tomato ketchup or sauce. This higher acidity red wine compliments the acidity of the sauce quite nicely.

Fries & Aioli

I quite like my creamy, garlic-y aioli with a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris – these crisp wines work well with cutting through the creamy aioli.

Rosemary & Salt Fries

When rosemary salted fries are done well, they are AMAZING! If you live in Perth and want to taste the most legendary ‘frites with rosemary salt’ as they call them, then you must head along to Swallow Bar in Maylands. Mr. Spittoon and I get them every single time. For me I like them with either a Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) or a dry-Riesling.

Cheesy Fries

It may be a guilty pleasure, but cheese on fries matched with a big buttery Chardonnay has to be done at least 10 times in one’s lifetime. I find it helps to do a decent exercise session beforehand so that you can enjoy this insatiably great match guilt-free.

Poutine

If you’re looking for Poutine in Perth, then head to Baby Mammoth in Northbridge – these guys know a thing or two about poutine. If you’re like me and had no idea what this was before having to Google it, Baby Mammoth explain it as ‘fries with cheese curds and gravy’ – it’s very popular in Canada. Simplifying it down, a savoury brown gravy sauce on chips has to go with a glass of Pinot Noir – the earthiness of both seem to work so well together.

Sweet Potato Fries

Or kumara fries if you’re a Kiwi. For me, salty sweet potato fries go beautifully with a nice crisp sparkling rose or even a still rose if you’re not into the bubbly stuff! If you want to learn more about rose wine and how it’s made check out this post.

Truffle Fries

Uhhh.. the utter luxury! We all know truffles are expensive, so when ordering a plateful of truffle salted/oiled/dusted fries – it’s hard not to feel just a teeny bit fabulous. Such a lush food can only be matched with a premium elixir, which is why we go back to champagne for this match. Specifically, a 100% or dominant Pinot Noir bubbles would go spectacularly as Pinot is a notorious match for truffles. Not to mention Pinot Noir’s equally elegant and luxurious reputation!

I could go and on when it comes to talking about wine and fries, but alas I am now absolutely starving so I am off to practice what I preach. Enjoy guys and Happy #NationalFrenchFry Day!

PS: What’s your ultimate fries and wine match? Leave a comment below!