What wine goes with chili?

A fruity, bold red like Shiraz, Petite Sirah or Tempranillo is the best wine for chili, since it has the weight to handle beef and beans and the ripe fruit to soften the spice.

Chili is hearty, smoky and spicy, and a delicate wine has no chance. You want a red with plenty of ripe fruit and not too much tannin, since tannin plus chili heat turns harsh. If your chili is truly hot, it is fine to go sweeter. Nobody is judging.

4 bottles that actually work with chili

• 1. Yellow Tail Shiraz

  about $8

  Shiraz · nearly everywhere

  Ripe, jammy and soft, with a peppery edge. Nobody will win awards for it, but with a pot of chili on game day it does exactly what you need for eight dollars.

• 2. Bogle Petite Sirah

  about $12

  Petite Sirah · most grocery stores

  Dark, inky and bold. The pick for a meaty Texas-style chili with lots of beef and smoky chiles.

• 3. Campo Viejo Rioja Tempranillo

  about $11

  Tempranillo · grocery stores

  Smooth Spanish red with cherry and a little smoky spice from the barrel. It loves cumin and paprika, and it is easy on tannin.

• 4. Sutter Home White Zinfandel

  about $6

  Zinfandel · nearly everywhere

  Hear us out. If your chili makes you sweat, a cold, sweet pink wine is the best fire extinguisher in the store. Six dollars and genuinely useful.

Depends how you are cooking it

Beef and bean chili

Shiraz, Zinfandel or Tempranillo.

White chicken chili

Lighter and creamier. A Chardonnay or dry rosé.

Very spicy chili

Go sweeter and cooler. White Zinfandel, an off-dry Riesling, or a chilled Lambrusco.

Cincinnati chili

Cinnamon and warm spice. A fruity Zinfandel.

What to skip

High-tannin Cabernet

Tannin and chili heat make each other worse. It tastes harsh and bitter.

Delicate whites

A Pinot Grigio is gone after one bite of chili.

Also worth a look

• What wine goes with tacos?
• What wine goes with BBQ?
• What wine goes with burgers?

Last checked 2026-10-04.