Pairing Off: PB&J

Peanut butter and jelly seemed so easy–a kind of sandwich
slam dunk; just slap it together and mission accomplished, right?

Ah, but this holdover from grade school lunch is really a
problematical beast. Before I even reached Kroger to pick up the necessities, several
people had already brought up the question of jelly. Then an acquaintance
chided me for choosing chunky peanut butter over the more traditional smooth.
Brand names were tossed around, assailed and defended by various parties. And
when I mentioned Mrs. Baird’s bread to Barbara Werley, wine director at Pappas
Bros., the response was none too supportive.

“Nobody does it with white bread,” she said. “Ewww.”

And all this before I even broached the wine pairing topic. How
did we ever make it out of childhood emotionally intact?

Finding the right bottle for a chunked up but otherwise
old-fashioned PB&J proved almost as daunting, though not for lack of
options. Paul Pinnell of Dali Wine Bar believes it depends on the time of day.
As a late night snack, pair the sandwich up with a Ruby Port “sporting generous
sweet notes” and “lush grape flavors,” he says. But in the afternoon–assuming you
drink in the afternoon–“the dark horse bet would be a well balanced and fruit
focused Montepulciano D’ Abruzzo Rose.” Inspired by the season, Werley
recommends Beaujolais Nouveau. “It’s very grapey,” she explains. “It’s simple
and easy to drink.”

Eventually, the focus turns toward dinner and ‘jammy’ reds. “Whether
we’re talkin’ grape jelly or raspberry preserves, I think a luscious Zinfandel
will work well with the fruit flavors in the sandwich,” says Lisa Petty, food
blogger and author of an upcoming book on Texas
wines. “You’ll also want to choose one with a good acidity level to cut through
the rich peanut butter.”

She suggests Times Ten Cellars 2005 Sierra Foothills
Zinfandel ($14 from Times Ten Cellars, of course) or Folie a Deux’s 2007 Menage
a Trois–a blend including plenty of Zin and widely available for around $12. While
the adolescent in us wanted to spring for the latter, we ended up with
Waterstone’s 2005 Old Vine Zinfandel ($11.99 at Goody Goody) because it was on
sale and earned silver from the Dallas Morning News‘ august panel.

The wine prickles a bit when first opened and needs some
time to warm into its full fruit forward potential. But it seems to be made for
PB&J: blending easily into the Welch’s grape jelly, turning sandwich and
wine into one continuous flow of juice. The peanut butter fades into a
supporting role, adding a mellow, creamy background note.

Other pairing options include Grenache or an Austrian
Zweigelt. “We tried to come up with a white to marry beautifully with PB&J,”
Pinnell adds, “and came up empty handed.”

So there it is–a school lunch staple coaxed to adulthood by
red wine. One can argue over Skippy or Jif or natural organic, smooth, chunky,
jelly, jam, preserves, whole grain–doesn’t much matter.

“Fruity Zin,” Petty says, “is the star of the show.”

–Dave Faries