Unlocking the Versatility of Sparkling Wine: Why It Pairs Perfectly with Any Dish Chris Lehoux, June 11, 2024 Versatile and food-friendly, pop the bubbly for any occasion. Shvaygert Ekaterina / Shutterstock Sparkling wine is far more versatile and food-friendly than conventional pairing wisdom lets on. Have you ever had a blanc de blanc Champagne with crispy fried chicken, washed down Italian mortadella with a frosty glass of Prosecco, or paired your New York slice with a sparkling ruby-hued Lambrusco? Amanda McCrossin, a sommelier and host of the Wine Access Unfiltered podcast, is a keen advocate for popping corks when considering food pairings. Related: A Case for Pairing White Wine With Beef “Sparkling wine isn’t a one-size-fits-all category,” says McCrossin. “Like any other category of wine, sparkling wine is made all over the world and laden with choices that can work with various facets of our lives.” McCrossin will be hosting a session on pairing sparkling wines with everything at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen this year, and pouring a variety of bubbles to help make her case. McCrossin likewisens picking out a sparkling wine to planning out an outfit. “You’ll quickly discover that Prosecco and Champagne, like pajamas and a cocktail dress, were destined for different things. Treat them accordingly,” she says. “You wouldn’t wear a cocktail dress to a football game or don pajamas to a work event.” “Prosecco is the ultimate aperitivo wine — easy to drink and lovely to sip with food, especially the snacky kind,” McCrossin elaborates. “It isn’t built for long aging so it’s meant to be consumed in the moment. It isn’t meant to be taken seriously.” McCrossin highlights the ancestral home of Prosecco, the Valdobbiadene region of Italy, and describes how the sparkling wine is a staple there. “Prosecco is consumed like water,” she states. Enjoy Prosecco in relaxed settings, along with weekend lunches and seasonal salads, with snack dinners and grazing boards, or paired with Italian recipes like farinata or crispy gnocchi. Have a few glasses left in the bottle? Lend the leftovers to your pre-dinner aperitivo or post-dinner digestivo. “Champagne, on the other hand, is significantly more serious and requires a bit more care on the serving side,” says McCrossin. Typically, she’ll pair Champagnes with dishes that flex more intricacy. “Champagne has more complex aromatics and palate, can be aged for longer, and can pair with a variety of foods, ranging from cheeses to intricate dishes like scallops and lobster,” she says. Like the broader sparkling wine category, there’s diversity within Champagne and no one-size-fits-all approach. Extra brut wines are excellent companions for briny or salty dishes such as oysters, sushi, or crispy fried foods. The distinct mineral tones of a blanc de blancs shine with traditional pairings like caviar or crispy fried chicken. Consider an aged Champagne, characterized by flavors of yeast, hazelnuts, and crème brûlée, to enjoy with slices of Comté cheese or even mac and cheese. McCrossin particularly enjoys matching brut rosé Champagne, especially from Laurent-Perrier, with hearty, rich meaty dishes. If Champagne is beyond your budget, explore Cava and corpinnat, Spanish sparkling wines crafted in the same method as Champagne, which often share similar qualities at a more wallet-friendly price. “The acid of the wine needs to be as high or higher than the food it’s paired with. Champagne’s exceptional acidity makes it an unmatched partner for virtually any dish.” — Amanda McCrossin, sommelier and host of the Wine Access Unfiltered podcast McCrossin advocates a simple rule for pairing sparkling wine with food: the wine’s acidity should match or exceed that of the food. Given Champagne’s high acidity, it seamlessly pairs with a wide range of culinary choices, she suggests. However, McCrossin does advise to not overthink it too much. “Pairings don’t have to be fancy,” she says. “I love Champagne with potato chips — high fat and salt content goes brilliantly with sparkling, and even just a handful of nuts.” Beyond stalwarts like Champagne and Prosecco, excellent bubbles can be found around the world. In England, producers like Wiston, Chapel Down, and Hattingley Valley lean into the region’s signature chalky soil, similar to those found in Champagne. Pair these bottles with fish and chips or British cheeses. In South Africa, producers leverage the traditional méthode cap classique process to make Champagne-like wines that showcase South African terroir. Open a bottle to cut the fat of fried food — croquettes, arancini, or Southern-fried mushrooms. Lambrusco, a deep red frizzante produced in Italy is perfect for pizza or anything covered with tomato sauce. Then there’s pétillant naturel, made using the ancestral method, meaning, it’s bottled during the first fermentation, and one of the oldest styles of sparkling wine. Pét-nats are made all over the world from any grape variety, so there’s no typicity — many are wild and slightly fizzy, but beyond that, they can be bready, savory, and golden orange. This style of wine can also be cloudy, acidic, and the color of sunshine, or rich and rosy. Pairings can range from roast chicken to tinned fish or spicy Thai dishes. But the most fun way to find out what works best? Try everything you can. For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. About the Author: Chris Lehoux Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored! Wine