Stress Eating Much? 4 Snack + Wine Pairings to Add to Your Rotation

I don’t know about you, but when I’m stressed I tend to eat. And, I’m not talking about carrots nor celery.

When anxiety kicks in, it becomes an all expensed paid “Treat Yo-Self” smorgasbord! Girl, you made it to Friday go ahead and order that medium thin crust pizza. Feeling down? Girl, that charcuterie board sounds really good right about now. You know Bertha (inner foodie) loves some cheese! For the life of me I can’t figure out why food has a way of getting through to my emotions.

Fast forward to present day. Emotions are at an all-time high with the current climate and everyone cooped up at home all day. There really aren’t a lot of fun things do inside the house. Catch-up on movies. Check. (I think we’ve all put the phrase “Netflix & Chill” into retirement) Read. Check. Play games. Check. Workout. Check. Attempt to start or work on a hobby. Uhhhh….

I will say that Bertha has really come through in helping me perfect my snack game though. I dunno about you, but when all this shelter-in-place stuff started I found myself snacking more to pass time. There was the morning snack, afternoon snack, pre-dinner snack, and you can’t forget the night time/before-you-go-to-bed snack. I remember back to the first week and I went through my quarantine snacks in the first couple of days. I had to learn how to ration out my supplies.

No, for real. I really needed someone to stop me. Anyways, if you’re a snacker like me, here are some of my favorite snacks and of course wine to go along with them. You’ll want to add these fun pairings to your list for your next grocery store run!

Trader Joe’s Organic White Truffle Potato Chips + Chardonnay

Trader Joe’s has been so clutch during the pandemic. It’s one of the easiest grocery stores (at least in Houston) to get in and out of without having to wait long in line. Plus, they have THEE BEST snacks ever there. I absolutely love truffle fries, so when I saw they had white truffle chips I knew I had to try them. I was a little hesitant because I’m not a fan of Lays-style chips, but these DID NOT disappoint. These chips are sooooo addictive. Sadly, I can eat a bag in one sitting and no that’s not because of stress. These chips are seasoned with organic white truffles from Italy and Fleur de sel (sea salt) from western France. You see Trader Joe’s is trying to get fancy on us. Let (clap) me (clap) tell (clap) you (clap)…you can taste all the goodness of this savory seasoning on every (and I mean every) bite.

I’d pair these white truffle potato chips with a Chardonnay, but not just any Chardonnay. You definitely want one that slightly bolder yet not-too-oaky that will not be overpowered by the savory elements in the chip. You don’t want to go with a light, neutral white like Pinot Grigio because these are too delicate and don’t have that aromatic, savoury element to stand up to truffles.

Cheez-It Crackers + Cabernet Sauvignon

Who doesn’t love Cheez-It crackers?! Cheez-Its make me think of my grandpa who used to sprinkle them on top of his broccoli casserole. I bet you didn’t know that Cheez-Its go with wine? This pairing is for the Cheddar Jack Cheez-Its, but unfortunately I couldn’t find any at the store. Thanks, Hoarding Helen. *insert eye roll* Pictured are the regular Cheez-Its. Anyways, the Cheddar Jack flavor pairs well with Cabernet Sauvignon. The bold red fruit flavors of the Cab complement the bready + cheesy combo that makes up the Cheez-It.

Pretzels + Chocolate Hummus + Malbec

I’m not the biggest pretzel or chocolate fan, but my friend put me on to this snack combo. You just get the thin pretzel crisps to dip in some chocolate hummus. I didn’t even know chocolate hummus was a thing, but it’s a lot healthier than Nutella. I found that Malbec pairs really well with this snack. The mix of milk chocolate and the saltiness from the pretzel goes well with dark chocolate oak flavors you get with a Malbec. Beware: This snack is very addicting too!

Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn + Candy + Sparkling Rosé

This is one of my favorite childhood snacks and now I get to add some wine with it. When I was little my dad would always add candy to my popcorn at the movie theater. As an adult, I’ve remixed it with some kettle corn and I added some Swedish Fish along with some Sour Patch Kids. This mix of salty and sweet pairs well with a Sparkling Rosé’s ripe strawberry flavors and effervesce from the bubbles.

These snack and wine pairings are easy to find and affordable, which is always a plus. I’m keeping these on reserve in my pantry because let’s face it stress is inevitable and so is my snacking.

Let me know what you think. What are your favorite snack and wine combos? Comment below. Until next time….glasses up!