Chex Mix + Wine Pairings (Oh Yes We Did!)

Why wait for a fancy dinner party to bust out your inner sommelier? Even the humblest of eats deserves the chance to be matched with the perfect wine.  

To prove it, we have an actual food critic talking bags of Chex Mix and picking the very best wines to wash ‘em down with. And as it turns out, Chex Mix and wine? So fine.

Go ahead. Uncork your potential and live your best snacking life.

Though these French sparkling wines are made outside the famed Champagne region, they’re often made with the same methods. Plenty of them have a soft but crisp bubble which makes them a great pairing with salty snacks—like the rye chips and pretzels in this famous mix. 

ALSO TRY: ROSÉ

A great Argentinian Malbec rosé would be well balanced for the salty mix. 

Perfect for a strong cheese flavoring, this tannic red wine is one of best things to drink with food because of acidity and balance. Fruit-forward Chilean Cabs have a nice tendency to bring out the fatty richness of cheese.

ALSO TRY: LAMBRUSCO

Effervescent red with bite and kick that would work well with cheddar.

This Austrian white wine is clean and simple enough to cut through big flavors, but strong with a mineral backbone that supports them—a good match for the onion, garlic and Worcestershire sauce flavors in this bold mix. This is a great food wine; some bottles will have a little sparkle, some will have more spice.

ALSO TRY: ZINFANDEL

A big, chewy California Zinfandel is made for bold and spicy snacking.

Go with a fruit-forward version of this white wine, one with apricots and pears on the nose, as the floral taste will help complement the sweet and salty snack mix without turning your whole mouth into a sugar bomb. A sip of this clean-cutting wine will help set the stage for another handful of honey-nut flavor.

ALSO TRY: MOSCATO

Enhance the sweetness with a lightly bubbly Moscato, which can run from white to pink.

While Riesling has a reputation for being a very sweet sipper, there are lots of modern versions that let the sweetness play out on a more subtle level. Those would be a great match for the salty peanuts and rich caramel, while still standing up and not getting lost amongst the chocolate.

ALSO TRY: SHIRAZ/SYRAH

There are plenty of earthy and spicy notes in shiraz that work to bring out the depth of chocolate and caramel. A nice rich and fruity balance.

On a good port there’s a nuttiness and a whiff of raisin that can warm you like a brandy—ideal for pairing with the rich combination of chocolate and peanut butter. (A dessert calls for dessert wines, after all.) Sip slowly and enjoy.

ALSO TRY: WHISKEY

Just pour some bourbon and be done.