If you’re like me, and I imagine we’re sort of the same, your interest in NASCAR extends far beyond the race itself.  Traveling to the different race sites is a cultural experience, meant to expand your horizons and broaden your je ne sais qua.

California Speedway is a great opportunity to kick the beer can to the curb and taste the life of a Left Coast highbrow.

So this week I am offering race fans an insider’s guide to food and wine pairings as you tailgate the morning away.

Lets start with the basic staple of any race: the savory smoked turkey leg.  For this delicacy of the track you are looking for something robust.  Think a nice, ripe, juicy red wine.  A five-liter box of California Merlot by Franzia is just the thing. 

Perhaps you’re saving that souvenier dollar by fixing your own grub before the race.  My favorite companion to a hot dog is usually an ice cold can of “beer on sale.”  In Cali, however, I shelve the 30-pack in favor of something with local flair.  7-11 stores have you covered with a three-liter bottle of 2005 Trove California Chardonnay for just $12.99.

Wondering what to serve with that funnel cake?  Desserts are always tricky.  Fortunately, Ernst and Julio Gallo solved this problem for you with a four-pack of their Modesto-made Boone’s Farm, available in such fruity complements as Melon Ball, Wild Island, and Snow Creek Berry.  Any of them will fit the bill.

I know what you’re thinking to yourself: This is all well and good, Splash and Go, but what about the drinking I do BETWEEN meals?  I won’t lie, that’s tough one.  The siren song of clinking aluminum cans in a cooler is painful to resist, but mixing beer and wine could lead to disaster at the race.  Mike’s Hard Lemonade would be just the thing if it wasn’t so Goddamned expensive.  Harley’s got you covered here, too.  Make a ten-gallon batch of lemonade and drop in a bottle of grain alcohol.  Pour that goodness into empty milk jugs.  Chill and serve!