For this year’s Super Bowl governors bet, they’re not even betting stuff to give to each other – it’s all being donated to food pantries (which is very nice) but the weird part is that they’ll do it “win or lose.” I get why they’re doing this – you can’t exactly get a food pantries hopes up and then be like, “Oh sorry, Gronk sucked on the field so now you’re not getting food.” But it does make the bet a little less interesting.

On Tuesday Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker had said that he was thinking about betting lobster and wanted Seattle to ante up salmon in the bet with Washington Governor Jay Inslee. Those are both great wine-pairing foods, but neither wound up betting them. Instead:

Seahawks: If the bet were actually lobster I would’ve said pair it with white Burgundy, but two governors from New England states participated in the bet and neither offered lobster (that would really have to be for Maine anyway if you think about it).

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said he’d donate Boston cream pie cupcakes from Springfield’s Koffee Kup Bakery to a Washington food pantry. Mmmm I love Boston Cream pie – would be good with a silly but full-bodied sweet Sauternes.

And New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan said she would donate bacon. Bacon? Like just strips of bacon? Random. But, at least it’s a good pairing with a smoked-meat-scented Syrah (oh yeah, it exists and it’s awesome).

Patriots: If he’d gotten the salmon he wanted, serve anything but Pinot and these guys would’ve been really deflated. Heh heh. I would’ve gone for an Oregon one here, which is a great balance between the earthy French ones and the heavily fruity Sonoma ones. Plus, keep it northwest!

But Washington Governor Jay Inslee is also donating his food: he’ll donate 1,000 cups of Ivar’s clam chowder to Massachusetts and New Hampshire food pantries. The cream base of the soup could lead you to a Chardonnay, but because of the clams I’d go for a dry, full-bodied Riesling. Some nice mineral, citrus, and acid would do you right.

Anyway, that’s it for this year’s bet. Kind of a curve ball (wrong sport) with the donations over the meal gorging, but we can be drinking in our minds. Who are you rooting for and what will you be drinking while watching?