Collegiate Times

Let?s face it: we?re not eating fois gras and caviar or stepping up to a nice plate of roast duck a la orange. We?re college students, and the closest we come to caviar is opening a can of tuna. Unfortunately, no wine connoisseurs are letting us college students know what wine to drink with those potato chips or that super-sized bag of fries ? until now.

I have to admit that I absolutely love McDonalds, you can find my boyfriend and me there once a week (?two cheeseburger meal and a large number one please?). I also love wine, so while it may seem silly and unnecessary, I decided to mix wine and fast food.

Hamburgers are red meat, and red meat typically goes with a red wine. But when you add in the ketchup, mustard and other toppings, things get more complicated. Mustard and onions both have strong, distinct flavors, and you need a wine that can stand up to them. Try an Australian shiraz with a hamburger like this; its nice fruity flavors stand up nicely to the burger. If you?re also having some french fries, try a merlot instead. This wine will go with the burger and also cut through the oil and salt of the fries.

Taco Bell or a trip across the street to El Rods is another culinary excursion I enjoy. I also like Mexican food because it is easy to make at home: a little beef, onion and cheese wrapped in a tortilla, and I?m good to go. But how on earth do you find a wine that goes with such spicy, strong food? Merlot, once again, can pair with Mexican. Merlot is a great ?all purpose? red. It goes with a lot of foods, and it?s not too strong, so white wine drinkers usually like it too. However, I prefer a white wine with Mexican; I just think it feels lighter and more refreshing after all that spicy food. A fruity pinot grigio works well with spicy dishes and has a clean flavor that will mix well with strong Mexican spices.

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