‘Big Macs and Burgundy’ Teaches You How to Pair Fine Wine With Your Favorite Junk Food

We’ve never had a high-brow attitude toward food here at Mandatory, but the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent quarantine have turned whatever culinary sophistication we did have into a distant memory. Not that we don’t enjoy a quality adult beverage from time to time, because we do. Just don’t expect us to prepare a fancy French meal to go with it.

Vanessa Price understands people like us – those that still want to sip on a nice wine but prefer to dine on a bag of fast-food burgers and fries. That’s why she authored the new book Big Macs & Burgundy. In the book, Price pairs all sorts of unexpected edibles with affordable bottles of vino.

Digging into some grocery store sushi? Pour a glass of Grüner Veltliner. Tucking into Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi? Sip on Langhe Nebbiolo. Snacking on Krispy Kreme doughnuts? Says “cheers” with Crémant de Bourgogne. Binging on pizza? Wash it down with Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. Two-fisting a Shake Shack Burger? Australian Shiraz is your ideal beverage.

Price even has wine suggestions for Arby’s Roast Beef sandwiches, Cheetos, breakfast cereal Lucky Charms, and Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia!

Of course, you can only slum it so long. If you want to go all out and have a romantic evening with a homecooked dinner, Price has pairings for that, too. Try filet mignon with Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, lasagna with Morrocan syrah, melon and prosciutto with prosecco, or a spicy tuna roll with rosé Champagne.

In addition to the pairings, Price also teaches readers the basics of wine, so you can actually sound like you know what you’re talking about (we dare you to describe the “juicy freshness and firm thrust of acid” of your drink).

We don’t need an excuse to indulge two of our biggest appetites – junk food and booze – but if you do, this book is it.

Cover Photo: Inti St Clair (Getty Images)

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