Three Ways to Enjoy Your 3-Ways
How to Pair Wine with Cincinnati’s Famous Chili
Skyline Chili has been a staple in the Cincinnati diet since 1949. For all its growth, expansion, and cultural impact on the region, the restaurant chain is still finding ways to level-up. Two new locations have opened this summer, and they feel a little more special than your typical chili parlor openings. The retro-themed location in Covington is the most esthetically pleasing and immersive Skyline ever. Even driving by, one can’t help but to stare at the neon lights and brightly-lit clock that recreate that 1950’s Age of Affluence glow.
But it’s the new Fountain Square location that really pushes the envelope. Hailed as the company’s “flagship location,” this is the largest Skyline Chili ever, and the first to serve beer and wine. The coney prep station, familiarly wrapped by bar stools at nearly every Skyline in the region, has been upgraded with beer taps, bar shelves, and other trappings that make the chili parlor feel like a comfortable hometown bar.
Of course, it was the wine that caught the eye of Pairings Magazine. How might Cincinnati’s most iconic dish share the spotlight with wine? What wines would be offered at the flagship’s bar? And what’s the best way to pair a glass of wine with your three-way? We’ve got suggestions to make pairing your chili and your wine easy.
Skyline Chili’s new flagship location at Fountain Square.
Top Pairing Options at the Fountain Square Flagship Skyline
Among the five wines offered at the new Fountain Square location, there were two that stood out as good pairings for a classic three-way. Chateau Diana Cabernet Sauvignon and Chateau Diana Chardonnay. Both options come from the Dry Creek Valley in California. The Cab is the more obvious choice of the two, with the lactones and vanillin that get picked up from the oak barrel aging acting as a natural flavor bridge for the savory flavors in the chili. The cinnamon and allspice in the chili mingle with the toasted vanilla and cumin in the wine to make the spices pop a little more than they would if you’re washing the meal down with a Coca-Cola. And the chili’s tomato base compliments the fruit-forward richness found in the California Cab.
But what surprised me was how well the Chardonnay stood up to the chili. In Cincinnati, we tend to focus so much on the savory meat and tomato sauce, we forget that the chili is just one component of this delicious trifecta. The weight and texture of the spaghetti provides the base for the entire dish. And the mountain of sharp cheddar cheese, with its lower layers just beginning to melt, provides the perfect balance to the umami sauce. This is what makes the Chardonnay work. California Chardonnays typically undergo malolactic fermentation, which converts sharp malic acid into rounder lactic acid, thus producing diacetyl—the chemical compound responsible for buttery, creamy flavors. And this directly mirrors and amplifies the richness of the melty cheese, creating that seamless bridge between each sip and bite.
Pair at Home
Although I strongly recommend visiting the Fountain Square location, some nights call for chili at home. There’s a reason Skyline sells their famous chili at grocery stores, and if you’re whipping up 3-ways at home, we’ve got a great recommendation for your wine pairing. Look for a traditional Rioja from Spain, especially a Crianza (aged a minimum of two years) or a Reserva (aged a minimum of three years). Rioja sees extended American oak aging, which naturally imparts notes of vanilla, baking spices, and even coconut into the wine that will perfectly mirror the clove, allspice, and savory flavors of the chili. The wine’s tempranillo grapes also bring medium tannins and relatively high acidity, helping it to stand up to the richness of the chili sauce and to meld perfectly with the cheddar cheese. Look for classic, slightly savory bottles from La Rioja Alta, Viña Alberdi, or Bodegas Olarra Cerro Añon.
Go Full Cincinnati Mode
Perhaps the best option is to pair the Cincinnati food with a Cincinnati winery. For this, I’ll return to white wine, and recommend adding some natural carbonation. Skeleton Root Winery in OTR offers the perfect thing: Catawba Pét-Nat. This dry, highly acidic, sparkling wine is made with catawba grapes raised right here in Ohio. And owner/winemaker Kate MacDonald brings the wine to life in the Methode Ancestrale–the oldest known technique for making sparkling wine. No filtration. No added sugars or yeast. Just bottle fermentation that gives the juice a natural effervescence. The carbonation acts as a palate cleanser, lifting heavy dairy fat leftover from the heaps of cheese. And while few people would describe Skyline as “spicy,” a chilled bottle of Skeleton Root Catawba provides a crisp contrast to the lingering cumin/cayenne spice, while the saltiness of the dish helps the wine taste and feel smoother.
So the next time you’re in the mood for Cincinnati’s favorite chili, whether at the chili parlor or in the comfort of your home, there’s a wine option for you. Test these suggestions out, and let us know what you think.
