Riesling and German fast-food are a perfect match. Here are nine pairings you should try on your next visit.

I know, it feels like we just popped the cork on last year’s Riesling birthday. But here we go. Another year has passed. Happy 591! 

If you follow my blog, you will have heard the story before, but on this day in 1435, Riesling wine was first mentioned in a commercial document.

The variety has clearly had its ups and downs but its huge versatility in style, food friendliness, aging potential and lower alcohol levels makes it a hugely popular wine these days, particularly in Germany.

But did you know that, while considered among the most refined wines globally, Riesling wines pair brilliantly with some of Germany’s most popular traditional fast foods?

What types of Riesling pair best with German fast food?

Germany’s traditional fast foods are dominated by savoury, gilled dishes which you can typically buy at Imbiss stalls, the German version of food trucks. Many of the traditional popular German fast foods originated during times when food was limited, featuring a combination of scarce resources and creativity in utilizing limited ingredients. Made popular thanks to their affordability and portability, these fast foods remain some of the most cherished comfort foods across Germany and still today are enjoyed as a quick lunch or in-between snack.

Intriguingly, many of the most popular traditional German fast foods pair exceptionally well with German Riesling.

Currywurst: Perhaps the most popular of all German fast foods, the famous Currywurst was invented in post-war Berlin as a cheap, satiating food. It consists of a steamed, then fried pork sausage cut into slices then generously topped with a tangy tomato ketchup mixture seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and cumin and heavily dusted with curry powder. It is typically served with French fries.

Pair with an off-dry Riesling. The high acidity cuts through the fat, while the fruitiness balances the spicy curry.

Cheese spaetzle: The dish originates from the southern part of Germany and Austria. Think of it as a richer, rustic version of maccheroni and cheese. It is made of soft egg noodles layered with lavish amounts of grated, nutty Alpine cheese (typically Emmental or Gruyère) and finally topped with caramelized onions. While spaetzle are now often served as side, particularly with game meat like venison or wild boar, this particular recipe is traditionally served as a main.

The high acidity of a crisp, medium-bodied Riesling will perfectly balance the rich viscous cheese and fried onions.

Flammkuchen: Like many traditional German dishes, there is an interesting story about the origins of Flammkuchen. It was created when wood-fired ovens did not have temperature controls and bakers needed to test if the oven had reached the required heat to bake bread. The solution was putting small thin slices of the dough into the oven. If these slices were getting golden-brownish at the edges after around 1-2 minutes, the temperature was right. And since wasting food was no option in ancient times, the slices of dough used to test the temperature would be eaten as well. To make them taste better, a topping would be added which consisted of bacon (or ham), eggs and onions.

Thus, Flammkuchen traditionally consists of a paper-thin, crispy bread dough base topped with crème fraîche, thinly sliced raw onions, and small pieces of bacon. Today the hugely popular snack is served with a wide range of different toppings.

Pair with a light dry or off-dry Riesling to match the smoky bacon, onions and rich sour cream.

Fish sandwich: Fischbrötchen is a classic fast-food in the northern part of Germany where it become popular in the 19th century as a staple for fisherman and dockworkers in the port cities of Hamburg and Bremen. Fischbrötchen consist of a crispy bread roll typically filled with fatty fish such as herring, smoked salmon, mackerel, or fried fish, topped with raw onions, pickles, and remoulade sauce. A popular alternative to the fatty fish are salty North Sea shrimp.

Pair with a dry, minerally Riesling ideally from the Mosel or Rheingau, which perfectly balances the fatty, oily fish.

Sausage and sauerkraut: This iconic German dish is a must-try when visiting Germany. It combines rich sausages with the tangy freshness of fermented cabbage. The savoury, browned sausage simmered with tangy, fermented sauerkraut is often enhanced with onions, garlic, white wine or broth and optionally apples for sweetness.

A high acid Kabinett Riesling will perfectly cut through the savoury, fatty sausage while perfectly matching the acidity of the sauerkraut.

Weisswurst: A traditional, hugely popular Bavarian dish, Weisswurst which translates into white sausage is made from minced veal and pork fat, seasoned with parsley, lemon, onion, and spices. The sausages are typically between 10 to 12 cm, are boiled in simmering water (not fried), and traditionally served with sweet mustard, pretzels, and wheat beer. The dish is traditionally served in a bowl with hot water, and the sausage will be either peeled off, or the meat will be sucked out of the casing, which is traditionally not eaten.

Fun fact: In Bavaria, Weisswurst is considered a second breakfast and therefore eaten before noon (and never later).

A crisp dry or slightly off-dry Riesling will nicely cut through the fat of the veal sausage while its minerality will beautifully complement the herbs and spices.

Doner kebab: This iconic food was invented in Berlin by Turkish immigrants, though its origins go way back to the Turkish Ottoman empire. Doner is made from seasoned meat stacked in an inverted cone shape and cooked on a vertical rotisserie.  

In Germany, the dish typically consists of a Pitta bread filled with thin slices of grilled either lamb, beef or chicken, which are shaved off the rotisserie, topped with salad and garlic yoghurt sauce.

A high acidity dry or off-dry Riesling displaying fruity notes and varied sweetness levels will perfectly cut through the fat while nicely balancing the spices and garlic sauce.

Potato pancakes: Called Reibekuchen in German, pan-fried potato pancakes are hugely popular across Germany. Made from grated raw potatoes, onion, egg, and flour, they are fried until golden and crispy. They are usually served with apple sauce or alternatively smoked salmon and sour cream. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, potato pancakes feature a pronounced earthy potato and onion flavour.

When served with apple sauce a sweet Kabinett or Spätlese Riesling will be a perfect match for the sweet-savoury dish. Pair with a high acidity dry to off-dry Riesling when topping with smoked salmon cut through the richness of the fried potato and the oiliness of the smoked salmon.

Pretzels: A widely popular quick snack, German pretzels are a dough-based pastry, traditionally shaped into a distinctive symmetrical knot. The snack is typically made from wheat flour, water, yeast, and salt and traditionally features a dark, shiny brown crust, which is achieved by dipping the dough into an alkaline solution before baking. Pretzels display chewy texture and are often topped with coarse salt. They are often served topped with butter or a soft cheese spread.

Pair with a slightly sweet off-dry Riesling. The high acidity and fruit notes will perfectly cut through the salt, while its sweetness will balance the savoury, buttery dough.

When travelling to Germany the next time, make sure to try some of the country’s most popular fast foods with a glass of matching German Riesling.