The snacks are sorted before the movie starts. The wine is whatever's open.

Popcorn, pretzels, chocolate, strawberries, a pile of candy.
I matched all of it to three wines, and pulled bottles from our own racks for each.

Popcorn + Sparkling · Chocolate + Zinfandel · Fruit + Rosé

Popcorn, Pretzels + Sparkling Wine

Salty food wants bubbles.
Popcorn is salt and fat. A dry sparkling wine scrubs your mouth clean, so every handful tastes like the first.

The plain pretzels and the yogurt-covered ones go here too. Look for Brut on the label. It means dry, so the wine doesn't pile more sugar on top of the snacks. Below: a Cava, a Prosecco, a Piemonte sparkling Chardonnay and one Champagne.

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Chocolate + Zinfandel & Primitivo

Chocolate and tannic red wine fight.
Zinfandel doesn't. It runs ripe and jammy, which is what chocolate wants.

That covers the wafer bars, the peanut butter cups and the chocolate-covered candy. Primitivo is Italy's name for the same grape, and the first bottle below is one. Save the big, tannic Cabernets for steak night.

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Strawberries, Grapes, Licorice + Dry Rosé

Fruit goes with fruit.
Dry rosé usually tastes of red berries, and its acidity keeps sweet things from going syrupy. Strawberries and green grapes are the easy match.

The licorice and the fruity candy are the wild cards. A cold, crisp rosé resets your mouth between handfuls. Keep it dry, because a sweet wine on top of candy is too much. Provence rosé is usually dry, which is why all four bottles below come from there.

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Movie Night Wine FAQ

What wine goes with popcorn?

Dry sparkling wine. Brut Prosecco, Cava or Champagne all work. The bubbles and acidity cut through the salt and fat, so the popcorn doesn't coat your mouth.

What wine goes with chocolate?

A ripe, fruity red with soft edges, like Zinfandel or Primitivo. Big, tannic reds can taste bitter next to milk chocolate and candy.

What wine goes with candy?

Pick the wine on purpose. Chocolate candy wants a ripe red like Zinfandel. Fruity candy wants a cold, dry rosé. Skip tannic reds and bone-dry whites, which tend to taste bitter or sour against sugar.

What wine goes with strawberries?

Dry rosé. Its red-berry fruit matches the strawberries. A Brut sparkling wine works too.

What is one bottle for a whole snack board?

Dry rosé, in my book. It copes with salty, fruity and sweet. If you want bubbles instead, go Brut.

How cold should I serve these wines?

Rosé cold from the fridge, around 45–50°F. Sparkling a few degrees colder. Red a little cooler than room temperature, which 15 minutes in the fridge will do.

Keep Reading

• Wine and Food: Pairing Without Overthinking
• What Does it Take to Make a Great Zinfandel?
• Champagne: The Chalk, the Bubbles, and the Two Letters on the Label
• We Asked Our In-House Sommeliers: What Are You Reveling on Super Bowl Sunday?

Pick the movie. Fill the bowls. Open something before the trailers end.

Must be 21+ to purchase. Please enjoy responsibly.