Wine pairing has a reputation for being complicated. It conjures images of white tablecloths, elaborate dishes, and a sommelier debating Burgundy or Barolo. But the same principles that make a restaurant pairing work apply just as easily to the foods eaten standing over the kitchen counter.
Rachel Mobley’s number one rule? Don’t overthink it. People can get so caught up trying to find the “right” pairing that they forget the most important part: whether they actually enjoy it.
A Birmingham-based sommelier, wine educator and travel host, Rachel has spent years studying not only what wines taste like, but why they taste that way. Every bottle has a story, and she could pull out maps, climate data and spreadsheets to explain what the taste buds are processing.
But sometimes, experience is the best teacher. “What if I got you a greasy burger and a Malbec?” Rachel says. “I bet you’d remember that wine a whole lot better that way than by reading someone’s words on a page.” The right bite can reveal something in a glass that technical tasting notes simply can’t.
While Rachel loves exploring acclaimed restaurants and experiencing ambitious dishes through the lens of wine, some of her favorite pairings are far less cerebral. She loves corner markets, grocery-store impulse buys, and the familiar snacks that have followed us through road trips, Christmas stockings, and late-night study sessions.
So, to celebrate the Birmingham treats and Alabama businesses she loves, Rachel raided the local snack aisles and started pairing.
“I might get a little nerdy explaining why these combinations work, but ultimately, there’s only one test: Do you think it tastes good?” Rachel says. “If so, congratulations—you made a good pairing.”
Don’t overthink it. Let the tasting begin!
Edgar’s Cheese Straws + Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Rosé
Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Rosé is a natural match for rich, salty cheese straws. Made from Pinot Noir in France’s Loire Valley, it offers bright acidity and delicate notes of strawberry, citrus, and flowers, along with subtle creaminess from four months on the lees. That acidity cuts through the buttery richness, while juicy fruit balances the salt and subtle heat, refreshing the palate and leaving you ready for another bite.
Golden Flake Potato Chips + Champagne
Champagne and potato chips are a magnificent match. Champagne’s bright acidity and bubbles cut through Golden Flake’s salty, fatty crunch, cleansing the palate between handfuls, while the salt softens the wine’s acidity and lets its fruit shine. Champagne’s time resting on the lees also creates savory brioche and toast notes that complement the chips beautifully. For Champagne quality without Champagne prices, try sparkling wine from England’s historic Hambledon Vineyard.
Bud's Best Vanilla Wafers + Jean-Michel Dupré Pur Granite Beaujolais-Villages
Bud’s Best Vanilla Wafers and Beaujolais come together for a playful take on banana pudding—without the banana. Gamay’s traditional carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration can produce aromas of bright red fruit, violets, bubble gum, and even banana candy. Jean-Michel Dupré’s Pur Granite is fresh, juicy, and fruit-forward, making it an easy partner for crisp vanilla wafers. Take a bite, take a sip, and let the flavors complete the dessert.
Cookie Fix Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Heath Crunch + Purple Hands Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir
Purple Hands Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir meets its match in Cookie Fix’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Heath Bar Crunch. The wine’s dark fruit complements the chocolate, while notes of clove, cardamom, and baking spice play beautifully with caramelized toffee and toasted oatmeal. Floral, earthy nuances add complexity, and Pinot Noir’s bright acidity cuts through the cookie’s buttery richness.
Bud's Best Ginger Snaps + Saveiro Vento do Oeste Madeira
Saveiro Vento do Oeste Madeira and a Bud's Best ginger snap make a fitting fall pairing. Aged partly in used bourbon casks, the Madeira offers notes of roasted orange, vanilla, caramelized sugar, baking spice, and nuttiness that echo the cookie’s ginger, molasses, and brown sugar. Madeira’s naturally bright acidity keeps the combination from becoming overly sweet, while the ginger snap draws out the wine’s warm, roasted, and caramelized character.
Chocolatá Dark Chocolate Bonbons + Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot
Duckhorn Merlot is a plush partner for Chocolatá’s dark chocolate bonbons. The Napa Valley wine offers dark red berries, black cherry, plum, floral notes, and spice, while French oak contributes hints of vanilla, toast, baking spice, and cocoa. Those flavors complement the dark chocolate beautifully, while Merlot’s supple texture matches the bonbon’s silky richness. Rather than competing, the wine and chocolate bring out each other's depth and complexity.
Alabama Peanut Co. Roasted Peanuts + Niepoort Tawny Port
Niepoort Tawny Port and roasted peanuts make an effortless pairing. As Tawny Port ages oxidatively in wood, its fresh fruit flavors evolve into notes of dried fruit, caramel, spice, and nuts—a natural complement to roasted peanuts. The peanuts’ salt balances the Port’s sweetness, making the wine taste fruitier and rounder. Rich, nutty, sweet, and salty, it’s a simple combination that delivers all the cozy appeal of a fall dessert.
Millie Ray's Orange Rolls + Strawberry-Peach Vouvray Sangria
Champalou Vouvray forms the bright, balanced base for this strawberry-peach sangria, made with fresh fruit and Milo’s Strawberry Lemonade. The Chenin Blanc’s naturally high acidity keeps the sweetness in check, while notes of flowers, honeyed apple, pear and citrus complement the fruit. Paired with Millie Ray’s sticky orange rolls, the citrus, strawberry, peach and orchard-fruit flavors come together beautifully without becoming overly sweet.
About Rachel Mobley
Rachel Mobley earned her WSET Level 3 Award in Wines in 2018. She continued her studies through the American Wine School, completing the research component of the WSET Level 4 Diploma with a thesis on the wine industry’s response to climate change, accepted in 2021. She spent five years at a boutique Birmingham wine shop, leading tastings, coordinating wine dinners, and hosting blind tastings for local wine professionals.
Today, Rachel combines her passions for wine, teaching, travel, and hospitality through wine education, private tastings, and consulting, as well as small-group tours to wine regions including Oregon, Argentina, and Italy. She also created Patina, Pages & Pours, a monthly antiques weekend road trip featuring Southern towns, independent bookstores, art studios, curated meals and, of course, wine.
A former English teacher, Rachel loves British literature, Pinot Noir, mahjong, unfinished craft projects, and wildly impractical caftans—and is always hunting for treasures for her historic Homewood home. rachelhmobley@gmail.com.