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" At every football game I stop by here in Iowa, there&amp;#039;s at least one chorus of a song \u2014 a polka song, naturally \u2014 that goes like this: &amp;quot;In heaven, there is no beer.&amp;quot; Wanna know why? Because wine is the nectar of the gods. And it should be a nectar of the gridiron. Seriously. Most of us insist on beer at a tailgate. That&amp;#039;s how the knee jerks, anyway. But I have made it my mission \u2014 as a chef, as a football fan, as a man \u2014 to bring together the disparate fan domains of football and wine. Because a good red will bring out the flavor in the condiments. Because Riesling matches a bratwurst pretty damn well, and brings out its seasoning. Sure, your buddies will look at you funny at first, wondering why you&amp;#039;re holding a stemmed glass in the middle of a parking lot. But this is where you become an ambassador for taste. The best way to match wine to burger is not by the burger itself but what goes on top of it. So if your burger comes with a sharp cheddar, tomato, pickle, and ketchup \u2013 plenty of vinegar in those last two items \u2013 you&amp;#039;ll want a light refresher. Try a 2007 Rosato from Pietra Santa, in the Cienega Valley near Monterey. Not to be confused with its older brother, the heavier 2006 version made from Sangiovese, it&amp;#039;s made from the Dolcetto grape and offers lively wild berry flavors with a hint of flint. Or, if you&amp;#039;re feeling a bit more gourmet and you&amp;#039;ve got a burger with, say, blue cheese, caramelized onions, and mayo, go for a big jammy fruit wine \u2013 which I&amp;#039;d disparage under normal circumstances \u2013 like the Rosenblum Planchon Vineyard Zinfandel from Contra Costa County. Alongside the toppings, the Rosenblum&amp;#039;s layers of plum, cherry, chocolate, and blackberry offer a good balance. Maybe a little pricey for tailgate at $26 per bottle, but a well-made burger deserves a well-made wine. And like I said, Riesling with your brats. A dry one, like the 2006 from family-owned Claiborne and Churchill, which specializes in the Alsatian-style wines from San Luis Obispo. With plenty of fruit but no sweetness, it delivers a honeyed aroma and flavors of almond and peach, perfect to go with the white pepper and marjoram in your brats. Or, if you want a bottle from the home of bratwurst, make it the Theo Mingus Riesling Halbtrocken 2007, from Pfalz, in southwestern Germany. &amp;quot;Halbtrocken&amp;quot; means &amp;quot;half-dry,&amp;quot; so this one has a sweeter edge, showing citrus and green apple. It&amp;#039;s imported by Terry Theise, widely admired as America&amp;#039;s foremost expert on German wines. Really, though, it&amp;#039;s easy to pick good wine for football. The hard part is picking good food. So, a recipe: My Grandmother&amp;#039;s German Potato Salad: Ingredients: \u2022 6-7 medium red potatoes, sliced 1/4&amp;quot; \u2022 3 eggs, hard cooked, peeled and sliced \u2022 5 slices bacon \u2022 4 scallions, bias sliced \u2022 5 tablespoons flour \u2022 2 sprigs parsley, chopped \u2022 1 1/3 cups water \u2022 2/3 cup sugar \u2022 2/3 cup vinegar \u2022 0.5 teaspoon salt Place the potatoes in salted water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove from heat, cover, and let stand one hour or until tender. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until just crispy, then remove bacon to paper towels and reserve the fat in the pan. Over medium heat, fry the scallions until tender, about two minutes, then sprinkle in the flour to make a roux. Cook two to three minutes more, stirring constantly. Add liquids and whisk until smooth and simmering. Drain the potatoes, mix with the sauce, and garnish with eggs, parsley and bacon (chopped). Okay cold, but best warm or room temperature. Serves six. Chef Kurt Michael Friese is a writer and restaurateur in Iowa City. PLUS: For More Food-and-Drinking Wisdom, Check Out These Events at the New York Wine &amp;amp;amp; Food Festival &amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;gt; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/a8632/football-wine-pairings-100710/>