Crossfaded highs are no joke, but pairing marijuana and wine might be a fun experience when controlled.
Alcohol and marijuana is a pairing that’s not normally recommended. But, for a lot of sommeliers and marijuana enthusiasts, the pairing of weed and wine is one that’s a lot like wine and cheese. Two items that are fragrant and delicious and that when combined can compliment each other in taste and smell.
The combination of marijuana and alcohol has a reputation. There’s the much discussed crossfaded highs — when people are simultaneously stoned and drunk and have trouble controlling their bodies. Crossfaded highs seem to have a substantial effect on those with sensitive systems, such as those who get drunk off a single glass of wine.
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Before combining wine with weed, it’s important to be informed and to start off slowly. Any kind of marijuana and alcohol pairing is going to give you a substantial high, especially for those who don’t have much experience with this combination — or with the compounds themselves. People who are experienced with cannabis and wine will likely have an easier time in selecting what to mix, making the most out of the experience.
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Marijuana and alcohol tend to act as downers, so it’s important to account for the setting where you’ll be consuming the mix of the two. If you’re at a party, try pairing the wine with a hybrid or a sativa cannabis strain, preventing that tiredness that wine’s known for from seeping in. If you’re drinking your wine and having your weed while on the couch, try out an indica with a heavy red and see what happens.
In conversation with The Manual, Jamie Evans, a wine specialist and herb sommelier, said, “Much like evaluating wine, you can also use sensory evaluation techniques to prep your nose and palate for interpreting cannabis. For example, the next time you purchase some flower, put it in a wine glass and begin to smell the different aroma layers that jump out of the glass.”
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Compare and contrast different strains, noticing their differences and smells. Get creative and ask your budtender about terpenes, trying to distinguish the marijuana you purchase through this lens. Finally, try out different combinations of wine and weed. Try out a rose with a sativa or a heavy red with an indica strain. No matter the outcome, you’ll get to train your nose and to try out new wines and marijuana strains, which is incentive enough.
