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Maybe once Super Bowl Sunday was a day off for wine, but not anymore. The party may demand lots of cold beer, but you need some wine staples as well. Even 9 years ago, when I went to a Super Bowl party to watch the Giants take on the Patriots, there was more wine than beer! I felt a bit out of touch! Sure, I brought a bottle of wine, but I did so thinking it would be one of a few. Instead there was a table full of wine! 

It’s clear wine is in. This is certainly true on the biggest Sunday of the year. Leave the Miller lite to your buddy, instead bring something that you know will please a crowd. And, if we’re going to drink wine while watching the game (or just the halftime show), why not choose wines to pair with the most popular game day food? 

Classic Super Bowl spreads are the greatest hits of American comfort and fast food. It’s Thanksgiving for snacks: pizza, chicken wings, nachos, chili dogs and pretzels. 

But regional favorites pop up as well. Here in the Bay Area there will be parties to watch the 49ers try to win their 6th Super Bowl from Sonoma down to Santa Cruz. Along with the classics, it’s a good bet that Dungeness crab with find its way onto the table. Maybe even some Hog Island oysters, raw or smoked on a grill, will show up too.

With all that in mind here is a BONUS Pairing just for you, our SFam. 

SPECIAL SAN FRANCISCO 49ers PAIRING:

Dungeness Crab Cakes + Chardonnay

This one goes out to the 49ers. A proper San Francisco Super Bowl spread needs crab, and why not crab cakes? Here the pairing is medium bodied white wines. You want something with with good texture, fruit and plenty of minerality and acid. For those here in California the obvious answer is Chardonnay! Of course you could go with Meursault or top notch Chablis, but let’s keep it local.

Our pick, worthy of our team:

Arnot-Roberts, Napa Valley Chardonnay “Watson Ranch”, 2018 $43.99

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