Whining about Chili

Last week, I made the best chili in my entire life!

Veggie chorizo, diced onions, and diced chilies were all sauted in some olive oil and deglazed in Lagunitas IPA.

I added diced tomatoes and let it simmer down for about 10 minutes.

Pinto, black, and refried beans were mixed in, along with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, carne asada seasoning, and habanero sauce.

I let it all do its thang over low heat for a couple hours, then served it up with cilantro and avocado.

You know I had to take a picture…

Bam!

I was so stoked on this one, that I challenged all my friends on Facebook to chili cook-off.

But…

In the wine world, a different challenge is presented when it comes to chili…

What do you pair with it?

In my mind, beer seems to be the beverage of choice to go with this hot and hardy dish.

I have some ideas for wine pairings, but have never actually tried them (’cause beer is always there).

So I ask you…

What wine do you pair with chili?

Lauren Says:
May 29, 2012 at 11:57 am | Reply
Mmm… that sounds fantastic. I always reach for a beer with chili, too. Wine with chili just seems wrong somehow. The flavors are so assertive that a light white with a little sweetness to it (the classic choice for spicy food) would drown in it, but anything heartier would just burn your mouth… and probably still fail to stand up to the flavors in the chili (especially one with chorizo). So I’ll stick with a nice, cold beer, thanks.
- jeffisrad Says:
  May 29, 2012 at 2:08 pm | Reply
  Thanks, Lauren.
Jeff Eckles (@JeffEckles) Says:
May 29, 2012 at 8:02 pm | Reply
This is one of those dishes, like a burger, just goes better with beer. Initially when thinking of a wine to pair with the chili I thought Zin, but the alcohol content would be too high paired with the spice from the dish. I think maybe a Chilean Carmenere or an Italian Barbera may hold up to the flavors, bring enough acid to cleanse the palate, but hold back on the alcohol enough to not accentuate the heat. And after all that, I would still grab a beer 🙂
jonnybrandy Says:
May 29, 2012 at 8:04 pm | Reply
beer or off dry riesling id say! my friend made a vegetarian chili today. had it with an ice cold pilsner
jeffisrad Says:
May 29, 2012 at 8:44 pm | Reply
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I’ve got my wine picked. New episode tomorrow night.

Stay Rad