Last night marked the beginning of the end, the premiere of the last season of Scandal. Can we please have a moment of silence for Olivia Pope and her incredible collection of winter white coats? **Pause** Thank you. Before I continue, how tf is Scandal ending before Grey’s Anatomy? Are you high, Shonda? Grey’s hasn’t been worth a shit since my junior prom, and Scandal is still amazing. Sigh… I should have gone into television. But back to the point. There’s only one good way to say goodbye to our favorite political DC betch: With her fave meal, aka popcorn and wine. Fucking duh. In preparation for the big farewell, we’ve done a wine pairing for all the SkinnyPop flavors, so you can avoid getting fat off movie theater butter and not look like a total wine newb, by mixing shit that doesn’t go together.
And if you’re wondering who made me wine goddess and how I even know what I’m talking about, I consulted with my friend who’s a level 2 sommelier, so this shit is legit.
1. White Cheddar + Cabernet
Before all you SkinnyPop aficionados @ me about how there’s aged white cheddar and regular white cheddar and which one goes with what, I’m putting them both here, because they’re basically the fucking same. A cab is rich and full-bodied and brings out the intense flavor of sharp cheddar, making it the perfect wine choice for all you cheesy popcorn lovers.
2. Jalapeño + Sauvignon Blanc
This pairing doesn’t just go for popcorn, you can pretty much use this with any type of green pepper-infused food. Sauvignon Blanc, specifically from New Zealand, has bright green pepper notes that complement the spicy jalapeño flavor.
3. Pepper Jack + Rosé
The newest popcorn to join the SkinnyPop fam, pepper jack is a perfect match for rosé. Because jack cheese is extremely mild, you’re going to want a light wine that doesn’t overpower it. Like the jalapeño/sav b combo, the brightness of rosé is great with the heat the peppers bring to the mix.
4. Original + Chardonnay
A buttery chardonnay with buttery original SkinnyPop? Groundbreaking.
5. Naturally Sweet + Riesling
At this point, you’re probs picking up on the idea that you match the flavor of the popcorn with the undertones of the wine. So the sugary Naturally Sweet variety is going to be best paired with a sweeter wine like Riesling. And no. Not a moscato, because that’s disgusting, and you’re better than that. You might as well put fucking Welch’s in a wine glass, if that’s your vino of choice.
6. Sea Salt & Pepper + Pinot Noir
Tbh, you can pretty much pair this with anything, because it’s just a little S&P. Nothing too crazy, flavor wise. But our profesh opinion is that if this is your go-to popcorn flavor, you pick up a nice pinot noir to wash it down. Pinots tend to have a peppery note to them that will enhance the, you guessed it, pepper.
