A good drinking snack should be salty and crispy. And while you could overthink it, we all know that the paragon of saltiness and crispiness is right there, waiting for you, in every grocery store and gas station across the country. All hail the mighty potato chip!
Elevate your snack-of-the-people by sipping something extra fancy and delightfully festive: Pennsylvania sparkling wine. Below are a few fun ideas for your holiday snacking sesh. And, hey, it’s not hard to find a made-in-PA chip out there — York County is a global chip mecca after all.
Brut Pennsylvania Sparkling
Pair with: Kettle Cooked Chips, Caviar, and Sour Cream
Pop the cork on a bottle of brut (aka bone-dry) bubbly made from any number of grown-in-PA grapes; options include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Vidal Blanc. These wines tend to balance austerity with a background of sublime fruitiness. Play up the latter with an extra boost of salinity in the form of extra-crispy, thick-cut chips and a dish of caviar. It’s high/low bliss.
Off-dry Pennsylvania Sparkling
Pair with: Ruffles and Hot Fudge
If your sparkling wine has a bit of residual sweetness, you’ll want to emphasize those honeyed notes. Bring out the complexity in the wine by serving a snack that is equal parts salty and sweet. Dunk hearty crinkle-cut chips into your favorite hot fudge. OK, hear us out: it’s like chocolate-covered strawberries, but a smidge more interesting — and everything comes straight out of the pantry.
Sparkling Pennsylvania Rosé
Pair with: Your Favorite Spicy Chip
A growing number of Pennsylvania wineries are producing sparkling rosés, often using Pinot Noir or Chambourcin. These wines tend to be dry, but with bright red-fruit notes of strawberry or raspberry. Think crisp and drinkable, aka the perfect foil for a pop of spice. Grab your favorite hot chip — we love Zapp’s Voodoo flavor (NOLA-inspired by made by PA’s own Utz!) or Lay’s Jalapeno — and allow the chilled wine to tame the heat.
Pennsylvania Pét-Nat
Black Pepper Potato Chips with French Onion Dip
This rustic style of sparkling wine has been growing in popularity thanks to the natural wine movement. Partially-fermented red or white wines are bottled and capped, and as the natural sugars continue to ferment, carbon dioxide is released, producing carbonation. With a Pét-Nat or Pétillant Naturel, expect smaller bubbles, lower alcohol levels, and fresher flavors. (And if the liquid in your glass looks a little hazy, have no fear: Many of these wines are unfiltered.) Pair your rustic, slightly funky sparkler with a bag of salt-and-pepper chips and a bowl of that unbeatable classic, French onion dip. The sweet, tangy spread will help accentuate the subtlety of the wine while the punchy black pepper will keep you sipping.
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