Picture this: It’s the end of a long day, cooking is out of the question and you’re in the mood to treat yourself to something comforting and luxurious, without breaking the bank. If this sounds like the perfect recipe for a wine and McDonald’s kind of night to you, then we’re on the same page.
Pairing greasy treats from the world’s most prolific fast food restaurant with a classy bottle of vino may not seem like the most obvious choice, but it can be a delicious combination of high and low culture that’s ripe for experimentation. Don’t assume that just because you’re scoring a $5 Meal Deal, that means you should settle for subpar “Two Buck Chuck,” however. There’s an art to pairing food and wine, and that’s true even when your food is foil-wrapped burgers and fries.
Luckily, wine expert Helena Nicklin, a writer, broadcaster, and founder of HelenaSips Wine Academy, has a deep understanding of the McDonald’s menu and all of the right wines to complement it. She walked Chowhound through her preferred pairings for five of the chain’s most iconic dishes.
Pair a Big Mac with a medium red
There’s perhaps no singular fast food item more iconic than a Big Mac, which began its meteoric rise to fame as an experiment in excess by a clever McDonald’s franchisee. The double-decker sandwich features two beef patties, a three-piece sesame seed bun, lettuce, pickles, chopped onions, American cheese, and, of course, the signature Big Mac sauce. However, “while a Big Mac may be big, the flavors aren’t always that intense,” Helena Nicklin says.
That’s why she advises, “Rather than a heavy red, a tart, medium-bodied red would work nicely — and one with some herbaceous notes to stand up to the dill and tangy, special sauce.” To satisfy that criteria, Nicklin recommends a Spanish mencia or a Chilean merlot. Mencia is known to be aromatic, and Chilean merlot is often characterized by its gentle acidity — both complementary notes to the savory and slightly sweet taste of a Big Mac.
Chicken Nuggets love Chardonnay
McDonald’s chicken nuggets are almost as beloved as its burgers, thanks to their crispy tempura-style batter. Whether you prefer to eat them plain or with your favorite signature dipping sauce, these little fried poultry morsels are always a salty treat.
When it comes to pairing them with wine, Helena Nicklin says, “Chicken with any kind of batter loves a fruity chardonnay with a kiss of oak. That peachy, melon character with a hint of spice and yeastiness will make a good pairing in terms of flavor and weight in the mouth.”
Your perfect pairing may change depending on your dipping sauce of choice, however. “If you’re slathering them in ketchup, a minerally, flavorsome gruner veltliner will be more forgiving,” Nicklin says. Gruner veltliner is an Austrian white wine known for its bright citrus notes. “If you’re going barbecue,” she adds, “try a light but juicy red, like a Beaujolais, to stand up to the sweetness and intense flavor.” Beaujolais wines are French varietals made from gamay grapes, which tend to be much less tannic and more fruit-forward than heavier reds.
Filet-O-Fish goes swimmingly with a white wine blend
The McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish has a unique history, and while it may not be the chain’s top-performing sandwich, it still gets plenty of love from pescatarians and omnivores alike. The simple sandwich consists of a square fish filet patty, a slice of American cheese, and tartar sauce on a bun, a flavor combination that Helena Nicklin says would pair well with a textured white wine.
“If it were just the fish fillet and tartare sauce, then something crisp and citrusy like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc would be perfect, but the addition of the bun means a little more weight and savoury texture wouldn’t go amiss,” she says. “A sauvignon-sémillon blend such as you find in Bordeaux or Bergerac would be perfect, as it combines sauvignon’s grassy zip with sémillon’s honeyed waxiness.” Sauvignon-sémillon blends are generally dry, full-bodied wines with both a refreshing acidity and a creamy complexity.
A meaty Quarter Pounder can handle a heavy red
While the Quarter Pounder is also a burger, it has a distinctly different structure and flavor profile than the Big Mac. It’s the only McDonald’s burger that’s cooked fresh, not from frozen, which means the beef patty is the star of the show — and a crucial consideration for your wine pairing. “With more focus on meat and less on the bun than the Big Mac and without that tangy sauce, this meaty burger can handle a heavier red to cut through that protein,” explains Helena Nicklin.
That said, the perfect Quarter Pounder pairing will have “enough flavor and astringency to stand up to the pickles and onions,” she says. “A carmenère from Chile offers the perfect hit of bold blackcurrant, with good acidity and a leafy note that will sing with the pickles and onions.” A full-bodied red, Chilean carmenère is often compared to a merlot or a cabernet sauvignon, but its softer tannins and subtle herbaceousness make it well-suited to accompany a Quarter Pounder.
Match McDonald’s golden fries with a golden white wine
Though they’re technically a side dish, many would argue that McDonald’s fries are the chain’s standout menu item, not to mention the best fast food fries on the market. The secret to their deliciousness may lie in their surprisingly long ingredient list, which includes beef flavoring in the oil (making them unfriendly to vegans, though they’re still vegetarian).
For most classic, “simply made” french fries, Helena Nicklin recommends “a refreshing white,” like a pecorino or pinot grigio. However, she says, “McDonalds fries are more processed [than classic french fries] with some subtle, meat-like flavorings added, which is what makes them so moreish.” With that in mind, “A richer, more golden white with a refreshing salinity will pair nicely here, such as a South African chenin blanc,” she says.
