Curating specific food and wine pairings might feel like something to be reserved for high-end dinner parties and Michelin-starred tasting menus, but the concept doesn’t have to be exclusive to fine dining. There are countless ways to pair wine with food — from simple picnics of baguettes and butter to late night fast food runs, there’s almost always a bottle to match the occasion.
High-low pairings are a popular concept in the wine world, matching one casual, inexpensive item with a splurge-worthy counterpart. The incongruous combinations often help highlight one element as the star of the show — a simple can of sardines, for example, can help reveal the complexities of a stellar Champagne. Or the uneven matchup can combine into a delightfully surprising duo, bringing out a new set of textures and flavors neither could achieve on its own.
So we asked some of New York City’s best sommeliers to share their go-to high-low pairings. Unsurprisingly, most chose wine to be the elevated side of the equation, opting for baller bottles of Champagne, Burgundy, or old Bordeaux. Some lean on easy-to-find snacks like french fries and Ritz crackers, while others share combos so out of left field that you will wonder how they even tried it in the first place.
Here are 17 of the best high-low pairings, according to sommeliers.
Andrea Morris, Bar Chimera
High: Old Bordeaux
Low: Bread and Butter
Julia Schwartz, Stars
High: White Burgundy
Low: Boursin Cheese and Ritz Crackers
Eitan Spivak, Kabawa
High: Champagne
Low: Halal Cart, Lamb Over Rice
Libby Winters, The Grill
High: Champagne
Low: French Fries at Cervo’s
Ellis Srubas-Giammanco, Penny
High: Amontillado Sherry
Low: BLT
Eun Hee Kwon, Per Se
High: Champagne
Low: Dino Nuggets (+ Caviar)
Cedric Nicaise, The Noortwyck and Oriana
High: Caviar
Low: Txakolina
Victoria James, Cote and Coqodaq
High: Madeira
Low: Pancakes
Nikita Malhotra, Smithereens
High: Keller G-Max Riesling
Low: Haribo Gummies
Mike Fadem, Ops
High: Lambrusco
Low: “Big, Sloppy Burrito” from Super Burrito
Cheron Cowan, Craft
High: Sauternes
Low: Jalapeño Poppers
Jin Ahn, Noreetuh
High: Julian Haart Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling (White Label)
Low: Spam Musubi
Annie Shi, Lei
High: Jura Savagnin
Low: Rotisserie Chicken
Olivia Moran, Same Same
High: Taittinger Champagne
Low: Can of Sardines
Patrick Cournot, Ruffian
High: Champagne
Low: French Fries from 7th Street Burger
Maggie Dahill, Theodora
High: Sweet Sherry
Low: French Fries
Reed Adelson, Virginia’s
High: California Cabernet
Low: Burger
