You don’t need to dine on foie gras or caviar to enjoy a pairing of fine wine with food. Some of the best combos, in fact, can be found in the corner store.
Local food and beverage experts are embracing comfort foods and guilty-pleasure snacks as the perfect partners to a great pour. They’re changing how people think about what belongs next to their glass of Merlot.
Oscar Hines, co-owner of Dashi in North Charleston, said when people only think of wine in the context of fancy meals, “it relegates wine to a small segment of our lives. The world is so much more dynamic than what that context provides.”
This fresh perspective encourages wine to step off of its pedestal and mingle with everyday foods people love. In doing so, it becomes less about formality and more about connection, creativity and taste.
“If done right, it makes wine feel less like a museum piece and more like something alive in your daily life,” said Josh Walker, owner of downtown’s Wine & Company. “That said, not every snack works. If there’s too much sugar or overwhelming spice, it can throw the pairing off. But if you love the combo, then go for it. The best pairings are personal.”
Prisma Pinot Noir with beef jerky
Dashi
Beef jerky sits atop its throne as the king of road trip foods, a pinnacle of on-the-go snacking. But encountering it in a wine pairing is unexpected. Hines, who describes the pairing as a “kind of gas station charcuterie,” says it’s worth trying.
He has spent a lot of time learning about wines thanks to Dashi’s extensive selection, wine club and newly opened Dashi Wine Bar and Emporium on Rivers Avenue. When experimenting with wine at home one night, he got creative and paired his red wine with beef jerky to find the perfect balance of acidity and salty-sweetness. He recommends a medium-bodied red, like the Prisma Pinot Noir or Microcosmico Garnacha, for the best pairing.
“Wine doesn’t have to be relegated to only a fancy meal,” he said. “There are so many really great, inexpensive wines available today that it’s pretty easy to find a selection of wines to enjoy on a more regular basis. Fundamentally for me, wine is fun and shouldn’t be taken too seriously.”
Why It Works: “It’s a classic combination,” Hines told the City Paper. “The jerky is salty and rich, which interacts well with the acid and structure of wine. They bring each other to new heights.”
The Vibe: “Youthful, exuberant. It’s something I wish I’d thought of in college,” he said.
Angelo Negro Unfiltered Brachetto with cheesesteak
Berkeley’s Sandwiches Suppers
Steak and red wine is as classic of a pairing as you can get. But what if that steak is served razor-thin, mixed with chopped onion, covered in mildly sharp, creamy cheese whiz and tucked into a warm amoroso roll smothered with mayonnaise?
Chris Higgins-Johnson, the general manager of Berkeley’s and The Archer, met this unconventional take on steak and red wine from his future boss, Marc Hudacsko, owner of the restaurants.
“Long before I worked for Marc, I would dine at Berkeley’s at least once a month,” Higgins-Johnson said. “One night, I met him while drooling in anticipation of my cheesesteak I’d ordered. He noticed I was drinking an orange wine and insisted, if I was up to it, to try this wine he loves: enter the Brachetto. The next thing I knew I had a belly full of the Brachetto and the best cheesesteak in Charleston.”
The juxtaposition of a hot, cheesy sandwich and chilled, medium-light bodied red is the ultimate pairing for Higgins-Johnson. In cooler months, he swaps the Brachetto for a chilled Gamay.
Why It Works: “All the salty, savory flavors of the cheesesteak are enhanced and make you appreciate the dry, slightly sweet background notes of the Brachetto,” Higgins-Johnson said. “The chillness of the wine resets the heat from the cheesesteak which makes me want to dive right back into the cheesesteak.”
The Vibe: “It has a Bradley Cooper vibe — super casual demeanor and sexy as hell. And everyone loves Bradley Cooper,” Higgins-Johnson said.
Pierre Péters Champagne with salted potato chips
Wine & Company
The salty crunch of potato chips beckons even the most disciplined healthy eaters. But you can turn your late-night snacking into an elegant occasion with Walker’s favorite pairing: classic salted potato chips and chilled Champagne.
“Obviously chips are delicious, and Champagne is wonderful,” he said, “but together they’re somehow more than the sum of their parts.”
Walker associates this pairing with nights spent at the wine shop reminiscing and bonding with staff over a bottle of bubbles and a bag of chips.
“The combo is probably tied to some of my sweetest memories at the wine shop,” he said.
“Turns out, the taste of chips and Champagne is really the taste of those shared moments to me.”
Why It Works: “The bubbles are sharp and refreshing, and the oily, salty crunch of the chips gives them something to cut through. The contrast is the magic,” Walker told the City Paper. “The crunch hits you first, then the salt and then the clean sweep of the wine resets everything.”
The Vibe: “I’d call it life,” he said. “Most of our days aren’t made up of big fancy meals, and I think we should pop a bottle any time we can. The ordinary moments are absolutely worth celebrating.”
Chilled Pelaverga with pepperoni pizza
Graft Wine Shop
In most casual pizzerias, you’ll see groups passing pitchers of beer to wash down their cheesy ’za or asking for what’s long been called “pizza wine,” a cheap chilled red, usually a Lambrussco. But as pizza has become more elevated in the food and beverage world, so has the drink people accompany it with. The spectrum of wines paired with pizza has greatly expanded.
“We’ve always been big proprietors of drinking what you like with what you eat and not forcing a pairing,” said Miles White, co-owner of both Graft Wine Shop and Tutti. “But luckily, I would be hard pressed to find a wine that I wouldn’t enjoy with a pizza.”
White offered many examples of wines (both red and white) that work well with pizza: Grignolino, Nebbiolo, Vermentino, Timorasso or Grüner Veltliner.
For him, deciding which wine to pair with his pizza comes down to how he’s feeling.
“Context is everything,” he said. “Sometimes I just want to sit on the couch and eat a pepperoni pizza out of the box and drink some cold Barbera out of a tumbler and watch Survivor. Other times I want to sit at the dining room table with plates, the same pepperoni pizza and a nice bottle of Barolo with a fancy stem.”
When asked for his ultimate pairing, the chilled Pelaverga stood out. Though the versatility of pizza and the expanded definition of “pizza wine” allows for a nearly endless number of potential pairings.
Why It Works: “Pizza’s a great wine food because it has plenty of fat, acid and salt,” said White. “You need wine with zip, some tannin and flavor that can withstand all that’s going on. A lot of Italian reds we love naturally have high tannins and higher acidity and are perfect with a little chill.”
The Vibe: This pairing is something you’d enjoy at your grandma’s kitchen table or while laughing with your best friend at home — comfortable, unpretentious and joyful.
Go spiritless
Nonalcoholic wines are proving they can be just as fun and flavorful as their spirited counterparts.
“Wine doesn’t need to be reserved for white tablecloths and multi-course dinners,” said Emily Heintz, owner of no- and low-ABV beverage store, Sèchey. “Pairing it with something as simple as a cracker breaks down that formality. It’s a playful, approachable way to bring more people into the conversation, especially those who might be intimidated by wine culture.”
Nonalcoholic Sèchey Rosé with Callie’s cheddar biscuit crackers
Sèchey
Heintz likes to pair Sèchey’s German-crafted Rosé with a local favorite, Callie’s cheddar biscuit crackers.
“Both [are] simple, joyful and welcome at the table — and showcase Southern hospitality,” she said. “It’s an easy hot girl dinner or book club night snack.”
Raspberry flavoring keeps it bright while subtle notes of rhubarb and rosehip balance the NA wine, and the lack of alcohol allows the full flavors and texture of the crackers to shine through, Heintz said. Plus, the ability to serve it in a casual setting makes the wine more approachable and fun.
Why It Works: “The Rosé’s crisp acidity and fruity lift cut through the cheddar’s richness, while its delicate floral undertones bring out the biscuit cracker’s buttery layers,” Heintz said. “The texture play, crisp bubbles meeting crunchy crackers, makes each bite and sip feel lively and indulgent at once.”
The Vibe: “This pairing is your effortlessly chic Southern friend — the one who can pull off a cocktail dress with cowboy boots and make everyone feel at home,” she said. “It’s warm, a little playful, deeply satisfying and always ready to turn an ordinary moment into something worth celebrating.”
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