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Contrary to popular belief, sparkling wines go well with a variety of snacks. Whether it’s French champagne, Italian prosecco or Spanish cava, you can easily pair them all with gastronomic pairings. The nuances of each drink and the universal rules will be considered in this article.
food for champagne
There are many types of sparkling wine, but champagne is, of course, the most famous and popular. Appetizers combined with it are almost guaranteed to go well with any other sparkling wine. The main thing is that the alcohol should be of high quality, have a balanced taste without an excess of sugar, with a creamy aftertaste and fruity notes.
A win-win snack for champagne:
- very soft cheese with white mold (brie, camembert), sweet bread sandwiches and mascarpone;
- butter cream;
- popcorn with butter;
- shrimp, lobster, smoked salmon, caviar, fried squid, oysters;
- salami, vegetables, stuffed mushrooms, eggs and any dishes from them, foie gras;
- fruit desserts, pancakes, honey;
- shortbread.
The wine sourness is smoothed out by the oily texture of these snacks, resulting in the perfect combination.
The “younger brother” of champagne – French cremant – is a harmonious pair with grilled salmon and pilaf.
What to serve with rosé sparkling wine
Despite the common stereotype, rosé sparkling wine is not always sweet, many producers produce dry types that are in perfect harmony with sweet snacks.
For pink champagne you can serve:
- brie and prosciutto ham – just like that, together;
- smoked salmon and other fish;
- chocolate and raspberries, any berries in chocolate;
- cream with fresh berries, strawberry macarons, mint sorbet.
Snack with Cava (Spanish sparkling wine)
Flamboyant (and budget-friendly) kava is best paired with spicy and salty light snacks. She is served with:
- tapas, sushi;
- sheep cheese (especially the Manchego variety), olives, almonds;
- potato chips;
- fried fish;
- prosciutto or any other boiled ham;
- jamon, meat.
Gastronomic pairings for Italian sparkling wines
Italy is known for two sparkling wines: sweet Moscato d’Asti and dry Prosecco.
Asti has a rich fruity bouquet and goes well with desserts, raspberries, roasted almonds, cheesecakes, lemon biscuits, meringues and sorbets.
Prosecco is known for notes of apple, pear and apricot, it is often served with main courses, antipasti appetizers, smoked salmon, asparagus, shrimp, lobster curry.
A little less well-known is another Italian sparkling wine – Franciacorta (Franciacorta). It is served with spaghetti with white wine sauce and seafood.
Champagne and chocolate
It is difficult to combine sparkling wine with chocolate – traditional dry variations make milk and white chocolate fat and tasteless, and dark chocolate in such a gastronomic pair becomes unbearably bitter.
The main rule is as follows: choose wine that is sweeter than chocolate, and both the drink and the snack should have approximately the same “body”.
Light delicate sparkling drinks are served with white chocolate, and rich milk bars are combined with full-bodied drinks. Sweet and semi-sweet rosé sparkling wines are best paired with chocolate.