Ahhhh a glass of bubbly. Just for special occasions, right? Wrong! I, too, am guilty of setting a bottle of Prosecco aside for celebration, only to look at it on the wine rack for months wondering when I’ll ever get to it. What many don’t realize is that bubbly can not only be enjoyed year-round, but it pairs beautifully with food, too!
At the Wine Blogger’s Conference last week, I attended a session by Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards from Sonoma, California, where bloggers were taught four techniques for pairing food and wine. Tia Butts, from Tia Butts PR, and Sommelier Sarah Tracey (www.thelushlife.xyz) led us through a variety of pairings, teaching us what worked together and what didn’t. Sarah summed up four go-to techniques for us that I thought I’d share with all of you. They’re a great way to incorporate food and wine pairing into your weekly meals, without being daunted by such a seemingly complicated subject!
Technique #1: Acid Needs Acid!
Wine: Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut, $22/bottle
Food: Bruschetta with balsamic glaze and grated parmesan cheese
Why it works: With both tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, this food packs a punch. A wine low in acid just won’t stand up to it. So, focus on pairing wines that have high acidity. Some key tasting notes to look for in acidic wines are green apple and lemon. Those flavors, combined with the effervescence of the sparkling wine, will balance out the pungent acidity of the bruschetta.
Technique #2: Flavor Match
Wine: Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs, $22/bottle
Food: Cougar Gold and turkey pinwheel with strawberry preserve
Why it works: First of all, who’s heard of Cougar Gold? I hadn’t! It’s a type of creamy cheese native to Washington State, apparently. The creamy, savory, sweet pinwheel needs a wine to compliment some of it’s key flavors. Blanc de Noirs features flavors of strawberry, vanilla, and black cherry, so this wine with the pinwheel leads to total flavor harmony!
Technique #3: Contrast Pairing
Wine: Gloria Ferrer Brut Rosé, $29/bottle
Food: Ahi poke with cucumbers, sriracha, seaweed salad, and pickled ginger
Why it works: Contrast pairing doesn’t mean ‘pick wine and food at random and pair them together’. You still have to be deliberate about what you choose! The poke featured a nice balance of spice and freshness in the bite, so this Brut Rosé with notes of crème brulée and fresh fruit complimented the poke accordingly.
Technique #4: Texture Match
Wine: 2010 Anniversary Cuvée by Gloria Ferrer, $45/bottle (and worth every penny)
Food: Bacon-wrapped scallops with meyer lemon aioli
Why it works: If I had to pick one word to describe this pairing it would be luscious. The wine is rich, soft in texture (bubbles), and has complex flavors including honey, pear, and black cherry. Mixed with the bacon fat, subtly sweet scallop, and bright meyer lemon aioli, this pairing is nothing short of heaven in your mouth. What I wrote when I tasted this was: “My ah-ha! moment, I need to recreate this!”
What was so interesting about this pairing experience is that at the end, we sampled the bites with different wines to see how they would work together. Let me tell you, there are some that just did NOT work! Both the bite and the wine were delicious on their own, but they did nothing to complement one another when enjoyed together. I think this may have been the most valuable learning experience of all. It definitely informed how I will approach choosing wines with my food in the future!
A little more about the wine:
I loved the Gloria Ferrer bubbly, not just for the taste, but also for the price point (most are under $30 per bottle). It’s so easy to get caught up in only looking for Champagne when you’re craving sparkling, which is often fabulous, but comes at a cost. My advice is to look beyond the label. There are wonderful wineries like Gloria Ferrer who are featuring sparkling wines in both classic and modern styles, and I promise you won’t be missing “Champagne” as you sip on a glass of their Rosé Brut or Anniversary Brut (or any of their wines, really). Bubbly is NOT synonymous with breaking the bank.
So, next time you’re hosting a dinner party or looking to add some fun to your weekend eats, consider pairing some sparkling wine with your lineup! It’s a simple, refreshing way to impress your guests and create a memorable meal.
Thanks again to Tia and Sarah for sharing your expertise! You can follow what Gloria Ferrer, Tia, and Sarah are up to at their Instagram handles below:
Now, what’s your favorite bubbly to enjoy with a meal (or by itself!)? Let me know in the comments below!
