Wine to pair with popcorn and pretzels

Most people study for years on how to pair wines with food - fois gras, caviar, hundreds of cheeses, fish, steak, and chicken. But what about...pretzels?

The Chicago Tribune asked local food and wine experts what their pairing recommendations would be for snack foods like tortilla chips, popcorn, and crackers. After getting over the initial shock of not being laughed right out of the cellar, try these suggestions yourself:

• For Doritos, a "big, sloppy" zinfandel
• But if it's Cheetos, go with Three Thieves Zinfandel, which comes in a jug
• Animal crackers with Oregon pinot noir
• Snyder's of Hanover pumpernickel and onion-pretzel sticks with a Carneros pinot noir
• Buttered and cheese popcorn (heated in the oven and drizzled with truffle oil) with any sort of sparkling wine, like Perrier Jouet Champagne Grand Brut
• Goldfish crackers with everything from New Zealand sauvignon blanc to California syrah to Spanish Rioja
• Barbecue chicken pizza's yeast-y crust works well with the "yeastiness" of Perrier Jouet Champagne
• Salt and pepper potato chips with an Australian Shiraz, but if they're plain chips, 2005 Girard Sauvignon Blanc
• Peanuts go with 2004 French Rabbit Chardonnay or a Beaujolais like 2004 Georges DuBoeuf Chenas
• If it's a mix of popcorn and potato chips, then do 2003 Wild Horse Zinfandel Paso Robles