Jimmy John’s Is Unleashing a Wine Made to Go With One Specific Sandwich
Stunt foods from quick-service restaurants are nothing new. They're fun, but with the vast majority of them, expectations ought to be low. Sure, there's a certain appeal to getting venison at a takeout window or a beer made with Lucky Charms...
Stunt foods from quick-service restaurants are nothing new. They're fun, but with the vast majority of them, expectations ought to be low. Sure, there's a certain appeal to getting venison at a takeout window or a beer made with Lucky Charms. However, if you tried it and it was awful, how surprised would you really be?
Jimmy John's, not a regular player in the food spectacle game, is taking a slightly different approach. Thrillist has exclusively learned that the sandwich chain is unveiling a limited-release wine. Just wine. The kind that is supposed to be... you know... wine. Not like meat wine or wine-flavored mayo or Chardonnay in a bottle made of Muenster cheese. (I'd eat the hell out of that last one.) The Pinot Noir is specifically made to be paired with Jimmy John's new sandwich, The Frenchie. It's called Vin de Sandwich (sandwich wine).
The quick and simple sub wants to imitate, to some extent, the feeling of grabbing a quick bite in Paris (Hey! That's why it's called The Frenchie!). It features salami and capicola with provolone and salted butter. That's it.
"We put a lot of time and effort into creating sandwiches that marry speed with the highest-quality ingredients," John Shea, chief marketing officer at Jimmy John's, said. "While The Frenchie stands on its own, we thought it was so good it should be enjoyed with wine."
The grapes are sourced from the Chalone appellation by The Folk Machine in Santa Rosa, California. It's a winery with envy-inducing labels. The Pinot Noir has, according to Jimmy John's, "notes of dark raspberry and ripe cherry" with "hints of cedar and spice." The wines, crafted by winemaker Kenny Likitprakong, will be available for $29.99 per bottle, but there are only around 600 of them that will be made available through VinDeSandwich.com.
Before anyone starts to think Jimmy John's is taking a turn for the snooty -- or as snooty as a sub shop can get -- they put together ads aimed at ensuring no one thinks they're suddenly taking themselves too seriously.
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