The truth is, wine doesn’t need a Michelin-starred entrée to shine. Some of the best pairings are hiding right there in Costco’s snack aisles.
Take Kirkland Signature pecan halves, for example. I grabbed a bag on impulse (because who doesn’t want a snack that can double as pie filler?), and immediately thought: this screams tawny port. Nutty meets nutty, sweet meets roasted—like caramelized pecans crashing a Portuguese wine festival.
Tawny port, if you’ve never stocked it in your fridge, is a fortified wine that loves to linger. Notes of caramel, raisin, dried figs, and peanut brittle make it the ultimate sidekick for roasted nuts. Plus, the beauty is in its stamina—it’ll stay fresh for up to three months once opened. That means you can snack, sip, and return to it weekend after weekend without fear it’s gone stale.
And that’s just the beginning. Snacks deserve personality matches just like entrées do. Imagine pairing tangy popcorn with crisp Sauvignon Blanc, chocolate-dipped pretzels with a jammy Zinfandel, or veggie straws with a dry rosé that’s as playful as it is refreshing. Suddenly, your happy hour looks less like “clean out the pantry” and more like “wow, Jeff must have spent hours planning this.” Spoiler: I didn’t.
So next time you’re hosting friends, don’t overthink it. Grab the snacks you love, pick a bottle that complements or contrasts, and let the pairings do the talking.
