Charcuterie boards get a lot of credit for being "easy entertaining," but the drink pairing is where most people leave points on the table. Salt, fat, funk, and acid are all in play — you need something with enough personality to stand up without bulldozing the whole spread. Here are three bottles worth grabbing before your next board night.
If you're leaning into cured meats — prosciutto, soppressata, bresaola — this is your move. Châteauneuf-du-Pape brings garrigue, dark fruit, and a savory earthiness that mirrors the depth of aged salumi without competing with it. The tannins here are present but plush, which means they cut through fat without stripping the flavor you're actually trying to taste. This is the bottle you open when the board is serious. At $55, it earns every penny.
At $25, this Sicilian aperitif punches well above its price. It's bitter-citrus forward with a brightness that resets your palate between bites — exactly what you want when you're moving from a fatty coppa to a sharp aged cheese to a briny olive. Think of it as the best palate cleanser you've ever had in a glass. Serve it over ice with a splash of soda, and it becomes the most approachable thing on the table. Guests who say they "don't really drink wine" will reach for this one repeatedly.
Hear us out. Fernet with charcuterie is a classic Italian pairing that somehow never made it to American entertaining culture, and that's a shame. The mentholated bitterness and herbal complexity act as a digestive foil to the richest, fattiest cuts on the board — think lardo, nduja, or a heavily marbled pâté. Sip it neat or on the rocks after a few rounds of the board. It's the reason Italians eat the way they do and still feel fine afterward. At $45, this bottle also lasts — a little goes a long way.
Quick tip: You don't have to commit to one bottle for the whole evening. Start with the Arancino as guests arrive, move into the Châteauneuf-du-Pape once the board hits the table, and finish with a pour of Fernet. That's a proper progression, not overthinking it.
One pairing we'd skip for charcuterie? Jeppson's Malört. We love it — it's a Chicago institution and it lives on our shelf proudly — but the grapefruit-pith bitterness fights with cured meat rather than complementing it. Save it for shots between friends, not food pairings.
All four bottles are on the shelf right now at Off Premise, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park. Building a board this week?
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