3 Perfect Popcorn & Wine Pairings for a TV Night In

Our favorite fall TV shows are slowly starting again, are you television obsessed yet? When it comes to watching your weekly favorite shows or binging Netflix, you can’t do it without snacks. Have you heard of the wine and popcorn craze. Yes, it’s a thing, and it’s the most delicious way to enjoy your favorite shows. I hear it was Olivia Pope who put fame to this snacking combo, but whoever it was, thank you for upping the foods we eat when getting lost in cinematic genius. I will say I wasn’t much of a butter loaded popcorn person, on the contrary, I can’t stand it. For some reason, I love the stuff movie theaters in Portugal give you. It’s sweet, almost like kettle corn. But that’s why popcorn is the best snack, you can season it with different ingredients to fit any taste or mood. And since I always seek healthier options when it comes to snacking, my go-to is SkinnyPop. It’s light and pairs well with additional seasonings, and of course your favorite wine. Seriously, I didn’t think wine and popcorn could work so well, but thankfully I had this helpful chart to pair my favorite wines with just the perfect flavored popcorn….

When plain salted popcorn is seasoned with a few added ingredients, like herbs or cocoa, and then paired with wine, do you really need anything else for dinner? No, better idea, invite your girls over for night in to watch all your fave shows, and make it a gourmet Popcorn Wine Pairing dinner. Set up a simple buffet with an array of savory and sweet popcorn flavors to munch on, along with things you already have at home. Kraft paper rolled into holders for popcorn, flowers from the garden or local market, and a few festive fall pumpkins is all you need to quickly pull together a tv binge night with friends that is just a bit more lovely than everyday life lounging on the couch with unattractive sweats. Yes, I’m just as guilty!To make the popcorn paper cone holders, simply cut a heavy piece of kraft paper to about 7 1/2 X 11″. Twist into a cone shape and tape with double sided tape on the inside of the flap to secure. How easy is that! You can decorate the the paper before rolling into a cone in anyway you’d like, simple white dots, TV quotes in metallics or fun prints.To satisfy each person’s taste, offer Red and White wines, along with a Rose or Sparkling too. They’re my top selections because they work well with classic salted popcorn, a cheese, and sweet flavors too. Think beyond typical flavor combos, and get creative with seasonal herbs too! I love how this effortless wine and popcorn bar came out, that it’s got me craving some honey brown sugar popcorn with a glass of vinho verde for the sizzling premiere of Younger tonight. Have you watched, it’s so good! These seasoned popcorn and wine combinations are so good, you’ll want to invite your friends over every week. So get creative with all of SkinnyPop’s popcorn and wine pairings!

Brown Sugar Honey Popcorn + Merlot

Hands downs this was my favorite flavor. Remember that movie popcorn from Portugal I mentioned above, well it takes almost just like that, just a bit chewer and candy like, similar to Cracker Jacks, which I also love. But much healthier. It harden almost like brittle too, with larger pieces of popcorn clumped together. I could’ve eaten every. single. kernel and I don’t even like popcorn that much. If I had to tell you to make only one popcorn flavor, it would be this one. Pair it with a merlot or fruity red wine for the perfect combo.

Douro Red {Merlot or Malbec – Zinfandel works well t00}

Merlot is velvety and although earthy, it possesses the slightest sweet fruit undertones. That subtle sweetness, is all it needs to pair well with chocolate and caramel. Rich brown sugar, velvety honey, this deep red wine creates the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

Brown Sugar Honey Popcorn

Ingredients {serves 4 to 6}

5 1/2 cups – Popped Popcorn {use unseasoned or original flavor}

1/4 cup – Unsalted Butter

3 tablespoons – Pure Honey

1/2 cup – Brown Sugar

Recipe

Place popped popcorn in a large bowl. In a small sauce pan, brown you butter. Remove from heat, add in the honey and sugar. Bring to a boil, and cook until it thicken slightly {about 3 minutes}. Drizzle your brown butter sugar mixture over the popcorn, and carefully stir until all the kernels are coated. Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet. allow to cool and harden. Place in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Olive Oil + Sauvignon Blanc

A dashing of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper is as classic as you can be, but olive oil makes this popcorn special. If you have it on hand, drizzle the popcorn with truffle oil for a decadent treat.

Vinho Verde {Sauvignon Blanc}

Vinho verde is my favorite wine. It is even crisper and drier than our known Sauvignon blanc. Not only bit of sweetness in it, which is why I love it so much. It’s a light wine with a hint of sparkle, which is the perfect simple pairing to classic popcorn.

Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Olive Oil Popcorn

Ingredients {serves 4 to 6}

5 1/2 cups – Popped Popcorn {use unseasoned or original flavor}

3 to 4 tablespoons – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Recipe

Place popped popcorn in a large bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil, and season. Stir until all the kernels are coated. Place in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Parmesan Sage + Chardonnay

This is not your typical cheddar or special cheese sauce coated popcorn. This is a more delicate take on cheesy popcorn. I thinly sliced very good parmesan because I know my girls, and they love their cheese. The cheese is salty spicy good! The sage is the perfect earthy addition to compliment the crisp Chardonnay. This is one of the most delicate and gourmet pairings.

Douro White {Chardonnay}

Chardonnay is crisp and well rounded, and just demands a sharp cheese and earthy herbs making it the perfect pairing for salty cheese popcorn. The Douro region in Alentejo is the most dominant wine region in Portugal, and their white wines are big, and rich with tropical tones, unlike American slightly oak versions. This unexpected wine flavor profile is what makes it perfect with dense cheeses.

Parmesan Sage Popcorn

Ingredients {serves 4 to 6}

5 1/2 cups – Popped Popcorn {use unseasoned or original flavor}

1/4 cup – Unsalted Butter

2 tablespoons – Dried Sage

about 1/4 to 1/2 cup – Parmesan Reggiano {thinly shaved}

Crush Red Pepper Flakes, optional

Recipe

Place popped popcorn in a large bowl. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter. Remove from heat, drizzle over the popcorn, along with the cheese to taste, and season with sage and red pepper. Carefully stir until all the kernels are coated. Allow to cool completely. Place in an airtight container up to a week.