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Howwww is it State Fair time again?! Time to pack in (like cattle – has anyone else ever thought this?) for butter sculptures, seed art, robot battles, impressive livestock and produce, and, duh, THE FOOD! Best-of food lists vary widely and vehemently between fair-goers, but certainly the atmosphere has something to do with it. However, if sweating it out cheek-to-jowl with over a million of your neighbors doesn’t quite sound appetizing to you, we propose an elevated alternative — bring the menu home and pair it with a custom wine flight!

It can be done. Here’s how:

  1. Bribe your partner, parent, sibling, neighbor to pick up your fried favorites
  2. If you’ve refrigerated your take-home haul, give it some time to come to room-temp on the counter before baking — you’ll get the best crunch:melt ratio this way
  3. Get your oven prepped for resurrecting that crispy goodness by preheating to 400 degrees and placing a wire rack on top of a baking sheet
  4. Fair foods with an element of moisture at their core (pups, curds, pickles) will likely take the longest to come back to life, 15-20 minutes baking, while those without (cookies, funnel cake) tend to be quicker, 8-15 minutes
  5. Assemble your go-to condiments and grab a glass — it’s wine time!

le Menu

CHEESE CURDS

+ 90+ Cellars Vinho Verde

That ethereal, golden mashup of crunchy and gooey, salty and creamy is hard to top, even on a stage where anything can be destined for the frier. To highlight that easy deliciousness, it’s best to match energy as well as flavor. We recommend 90+ Cellars Vinho Verde, a lively tap-dance of Key lime, yellow flowers, kiwi, and green apple on a light buzz of bubble.

FUNNEL CAKE

+ La Gioiosa Brut Rosé Prosecco

Another simple classic that’s all about that crispy dough. Keep your pairing nice and light, and just slightly confectionary, with La Gioiosa’s fruity Rosé Prosecco. The creamy bubble and fresh strawberry fruit make for an ideal, breezy counterpoint to funnel cake’s caramelized crunch and dusting of sugar.

FRIED PICKLES

+ High Valley Sauvignon Blanc

A Frankenstein food that so weird it works needs a pretty fine-tuned pairing. For something with enough character, but enough versatility, to play nicely with pickles, we’ve turned to the unique Sauvignon Blanc from High Valley in Lake County, CA. Its supple body and soft tropical fruit are a nice counterpoint to the pickles’ tang, while notes of green melon, pink grapefruit, and mango keep things snappy.

COOKIE BUCKET

+ 90+ Cellars Lambrusco

A perennial State Fair souvenir snack, the cookie bucket cannot be denied. To offer a proper frame for such a classic, we’ve picked 90+ Cellars’ well-balanced and classic frothy, fruity Lambrusco. Its dark plum and boysenberry, baked banana, and touch of dark chocolate fit right in with the ooey and the gooey without going overboard on sweetness.

PRONTO PUP

+ Les Allies Cotes du Rhône

For more substantial Fair fare, you need a more substantial wine. Les Allies Cotes du Rhône has savory elements of earth and spice that elevate the humble corndog nicely. Notes of black raspberry, red plum, bramble, cedar, and sweet tobacco are a lovely match for the rustic ease of meat-on-a-stick.

-Aimee Hutchinson | Wine Manager Top Ten Liquors

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