From Hops to Grapes: Wines a Beer Nerd Can Bring to the Party
After a guest hands you a six-pack on their way into your house, you say, “Oh, cool. Yeah, I’ve heard of this brewery.” Though it’s not their thing, they know you’re “into beer”, so they grabbed you something they thought looked interesting.
You crack one open to be polite, but before even tasting it, you’re fairly certain the remaining five are destined to sit in the back of your fridge, ignored and forgotten. Biding their time until their inevitable fate comes. The drain pour.
But now you have to grab a bottle of wine to bring to someone’s party and as a beer nerd not terribly familiar with wine, you’re a little unsure of what to get. Well, I’ve got Ethan Fixell here for assistance. As a beer and wine nerd, Ethan is the perfect person to ask for help.
I gave Ethan six widely available and affordable beer brands that most beer nerds would warmly welcome. Then I asked him to pair each with a wine that is also widely available and affordable. Since comparing wine and beer is often an apples to oranges situation, the idea of “pairing” is just for fun. Don’t take them too seriously. The real goal is to provide a handful of respectable wines that are easy to find and won’t break the bank.
Here’s what Ethan said for the beers I selected along with some tips he provided at the end to keep in mind when buying wine.
Guinness
Lots of people think of Guinness -- with its iconic creamy texture and notes of roasted barley, coffee, and dark chocolate – as a heavier "dessert" beer. And while it is, indeed, chock full of complexity, at 4.2% ABV and with fewer calories than an average IPA, it's shockingly light on its feet.
Enter Shiraz: This bold grape variety boasts rich dark fruit flavors, firm tannins, and often a hint of spice, making it a robust match for Guinness and its roasted notes. However, unlike French "Syrah" (the same grape), when grown in Australia, the resulting varietal wine is far juicier and often -- due to oak aging -- tinged with notes of vanilla and wood.
Recommendation: Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz, Australia. This classic "down under" Shiraz delivers concentrated dark fruit flavors, firm tannins, and a hint of spice -- it's full-bodied, but never feels "heavy." Its fruitiness keeps it buoyant and vibrant.
Allagash White
As a Belgian-style witbier, Allagash White is known for its refreshing citrusy flavors, subtle spice notes, and light body. Similarly, Sancerre, in France's Loire Valley, is renowned for its crisp, dry Sauvignon Blanc-based wines that often exhibit vibrant acidity, grassy notes, and a hint of citrus.
Recommendation: Pascal Jolivet Sancerre. This widely available Sancerre is a classic example of the style, with bright acidity and those characteristic grassy, citrusy notes.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale -- to many the OG American craft beer -- is celebrated for its hop-forward character, medium body, and light caramel sweetness. While a white wine might seem like the obvious choice for a grape-based stand-in, I've got a particular red in mind that has a lot to offer.
Let's look to Burgundy, perhaps the highest regarded French wine region thanks to its elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Burgundian Pinot, specifically, is a lighter-bodied red, and is rich with earthy undertones, red fruit flavors, and a hint of spice. It reminds me of mushroomy, wet ground on the forest floor -- much like the woods at the base of the Sierra Nevada range.
Recommendation: Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir. This widely available and affordable Burgundy is a classic representation of the region/style, and Jadot is as ubiquitous and respected as Sierra Nevada is by beer nerds.
Miller High Life
Miller High Life, the "Champagne of Beers," deserves a sparkling companion that matches its easy-drinking nature and subtle fruit flavors. And this adjunct macro lager may be cheap, but it's still the best of a category. Let's give it the respect it deserves by pairing it with real deal Champers.
Recommendation: Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Réserve, Champagne, France. This non-vintage Champagne offers bubbly effervescence, crisp apple and citrus flavors, and a touch of toastiness (do I detect echoes of the grain used to make Miller High Life?). For Champagne, it's super cheap ($35ish) and you can find it throughout the US.
Pilsner Urquell
Pilsner Urquell, the original Pilsner, is celebrated for its crisp, clean flavor, subtle bitterness, and refreshing finish. To complement these characteristics, we head to the sunny island of Sardinia, Italy, home to the Vermentino grape.
Sardinian Vermentino is known for its saline minerality, herbaceous and floral notes, and refreshing acidity, making it a perfect match for the Pilsner's hoppy bitterness and crisp finish.
Recommendation: Sella & Mosca La Cala, Vermentino di Sardegna, is the entry-level wine from one of the oldest and most renowned wineries in Sardinia. Its subtle saline note echoes the mineral character that comes from the soft water used in brewing Pilsner Urquell, while a subtle bitterness and hints of white flowers and rosemary mirror the beer's noble Saaz hops.
Leffe
Leffe Blonde, a Belgian abbey ale, offers notes of banana, clove, and pear, with a touch of honeyed sweetness and a slightly spicy finish. To complement its yeast-driven complexity, we turn to Bordeaux, the renowned French region known for its elegant red blends.
Bordeaux wines, typically dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, offer dark fruit flavors, subtle spice notes, and moderate tannins. The dark fruit in the wine complements the dried fruit notes in the beer, while the wine's subtle spice reflects the clove-like spiciness in Leffe.
Recommendation: Légende Bordeaux. This widely available Bordeaux, produced by the prestigious Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), offers a crowd-pleasing blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other Bordeaux varietals that harmonize beautifully, much like the complex flavor components of the Belgian ale.
Wine Shopping Tips
Check the storage conditions: Avoid buying wine from stores that keep their bottles in direct sunlight or excessively warm temperatures. These conditions can damage the wine and lead to off-flavors.
Look for signs of damage: Inspect the bottle for any cracks, chips, or leakage. Also, check the fill level of the wine. A low fill level can indicate that the wine has been exposed to too much oxygen, which can spoil it.
Ask for recommendations: If you're unsure of what to buy, don't hesitate to ask a knowledgeable salesperson for recommendations. They can help you find a wine that suits your taste and budget.
Drink!: At least 90% of all wines are meant to be enjoyed right away. Don't chase older vintages -- which can be more complex but are also more prone to spoilage -- unless you know what you're buying.