By Rachel Brown

If you’re like my family and me, you probably have a couple of containers of left-over dinners from the week, maybe some Chinese takeout chilling in its box still sitting in the fridge, or a snack cabinet that’s just a little bit too full. We usually assume that wine needs to be paired with something extravagant to be set alongside a food pairing. Or, we mark a wine and food pairing with a life event or holiday. But what about a Tuesday night after a long day? What do you pair with then? Can you do something with that leftover Chinese food? 

I'm here to tell you that you can. And you should. 

Over the last few years on my journey through wine and life, I’ve adopted the mindset that we’re on a rock in space; I'm going to drink the wine. And those moments can happen on Tuesdays, Saturday mornings before 10 a.m., or with my fiancée in the middle of the day because why not? 

So, go to your fridge. Open those doors wide, and let's get pairing. 

1. You’ve got leftover chicken. You’ve maybe got some greens like spinach or kale rolling around. You’ve got pasta in the cabinet. Let’s make some scampi. Grab your bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Riesling and get cooking. Add everything into a stir-fry and add in some of that precious, precious vino. Pro-tip; try and drink the wine you’re cooking with.  

2. This is my personal favorite. There are days where you just do not want to cook, and that’s okay. Grab your DiGorgno pizza out of the freezer and get it in the oven. Try and go for a lighter, spicier red with a good acid level and a little oak to complement some of those meat toppings. Try a Rioja or a Pinot Noir for an earthy pairing. Not a meat or red sauce lover? No problem. Grab a plain white pizza and try with Riesling or Chardonnay. If you prefer veggies, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, or Gruner Veltliner are easy go-to's. 

3. That leftover Chinese. Yes. Take it out. Heat it up. Go for something zesty and bright like Dry Rosé or Traminette. Something with a big aroma and a cooling mouthfeel will help with all that heat and spice in your dish. Even if it isn’t leftover take-out, Chinese, Indian, or Thai food is an easy marriage for either of those wines. 

4. It’s snack time. You open those cabinet doors and eye up all your options. What can you pair with popcorn? Chardonnay. What can you pair with chocolate-covered pretzels? Cabernet Sauvignon. What can you do with that aged sharp chedda, ritz crackers, and honey? Riesling or a nice sparkling wine will do. I know what you’re thinking, too. What about Ramen? Something sweet will complement the salt. We can use Gewurztraminer or Reisling for this pairing too. 

5. If you’re my fiancée and you like to snack on chips and salsa at 10:30 PM on a Thursday, sangria is an easy and fruity option to take your snack from just yummy to full-on fiesta really quickly. Salt and sweet and a little bit of spice. The jar of salsa empties a lot quicker than you think, trust me. Whether it’s a store-bought sangria that already has all the fixings or you make your own, I don’t think anyone has ever been sad drinking sangria.

    

6. We do a lot of soups and stews at my house. For your beef stew nights, a robust red will do the trick to handle all the fat and flavor from the meat. Try with Merlot, Malbec, or Syrah. If you’re doing a chowder or a cream-based soup, Chardonnay is a no-brainer. For a classic like chicken noodle soup, try unoaked Chardonnay or even Pinot Blanc. If you want to stick with reds, try Beaujolais for its light tannins and fresh fruit. 

 Every item in your fridge or cabinet right now can be paired with any of the wines I’ve mentioned above. It's just about bringing it together. I am of the firm belief that small, mundane moments in life can be exceptional. While there’s nothing wrong with saving that treasured or expensive bottle of wine for a big event, capitalizing on small moments feels just as good. I took a $65 bottle of Rosato to my best friend’s house one summer, and we sat by her pool at 11:45 am and drank the whole thing. It was a simple day, not anything special, but it’s been four years, and we still talk about that bottle of wine and how much we laughed that day.  

Wine, for me, brings us together. You tell stories around it. You have game-night around it. You fall in love or fight or laugh around it. Wine is a centralizer, and I think it can be used at any time, any place. So long as you have a bottle opener and a glass to get it in, that is. 

That being said, middle of the week dinners or even snacks and wine can make an OK day into a great day.