Report From Wine Explorer Diego Samper
Super Bowl Wine, Without the Ceremony
The teams aren’t set yet.
The tension already is.
Favorites will be named. Talking heads will sound certain. Betting sites will act like they know how this ends. They never do. That uncertainty is part of the ritual now.
This year marks the 60th Super Bowl, and by now it isn’t just a game. It’s a day people plan around. One Sunday a year when the house fills up, the kitchen runs hot, and someone inevitably makes far more food than anyone could reasonably eat.
There are always too many dips.
Someone brings their “signature” dish.
Someone else says they’re not hungry and eats everything anyway.
Someone says they’re “keeping it simple.”
They never are.
Nobody needs an excuse to show up.
The game already did the work.
That alone makes it a good day to open wine.
The Super Bowl pulls people into the same room, but not into the same moment. Attention drifts. A big play. A stoppage. A TV ad that suddenly matters. Another one no one asked for. Halftime brings music, opinions, arguments, and old controversies everyone pretends to remember clearly.
There’s tension everywhere.
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In the score
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In the commercials
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In the halftime show
Plenty of reasons to reach for a drink.
Beer gets most of the attention because it’s easy. It asks very little of you.
But there’s always a moment when someone reaches for wine.
Quietly. Without announcing it.
It’s a minority move.
It always has been.
And it’s always felt right on a long afternoon like this.
This Isn’t a Day for Ceremony
Wine on Super Bowl Sunday doesn’t show up polished. Bottles get passed. Glasses disappear. And if the crowd is big enough, sooner or later that wine ends up in a red plastic cup.
That’s not a failure.
That’s success.
One practical rule that always works: chill everything. Reds and whites. It’s winter, but the rooms are warm, the oven’s been on all day, and nobody wants a heavy glass of anything by the second quarter. Cold wine warms up. Warm wine just sits there.
What to Open
Keep it honest and forgiving.
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Prosecco or Lambrusco with spicy or fried food
Bubble work, not celebration. Carbonation scrubs grease, tames heat, and keeps things moving when the wings get serious. -
Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc with snacks and pizza
Bright acid versus fat. Clean lines against chaos. No thinking required. -
Malbec with burgers, ribs, or anything dragged off the grill
Dark fruit, soft tannins, enough weight to stand up to smoke and sauce without stealing the spotlight. -
Criolla, or any light red you can chill without shame
Juicy, low tannin, dangerously drinkable. The bottle that vanishes while everyone’s still arguing about the score.
And yes, keep sparkling wine open all night.
Even if you already opened bubbles earlier. It resets the palate. Clears the noise. Reminds you why you’re here.
Because the Super Bowl, at its best, isn’t really about football.
It’s about the room filling up.
The table getting messy.
People staying longer than they planned.
Wine doesn’t need to be impressive for that.
It just needs to be there—poured, shared, and enjoyed while the game, the ads, and the arguments roll on.
That’s the whole point.
Cheers,
Diego Samper
Wine Explorer
P.S. If you’ve read this far, I’ve got a special gameday treat for you. Use the code BIGGAME on our site and get 10% off your next order of $150+. Perfect for making sure the wine that ends up in the red plastic cup is a good one.
