How To Choose The Right Sparkling Wine For Different Types Of Entree

If you’re the type of person who loves to drink sparkling wine by itself, you would probably just pick something that you fancy drinking regardless of the dish served in front of you. Yes, you have all the freedom in the world to choose any type of wine, and nobody has the right to judge you about the kind of dish you want to pair it with. However, if you want a more exquisite experience, you need to be drinking your sparkling wine with the right type of food so that neither gets in the way of one’s taste.

Such a thing is especially true if you’re drinking the sparkling wine with an entree. It is the first part of the entire meal, so you should be off to a good start. Else, you will not enjoy the rest of the repast.

Finding that perfect entree for a specific sparkling wine can be quite a challenge, but fret not as it’s completely doable. Below are some guidelines to assist you on this matter:

Lasagna

Lasagna is a lot of folks’ comfort food that it’s always present during gatherings and just any type of occasion. Lasagna noodles, ground beef, ricotta, parmesan cheese, various herbs, and tomato sauce layered on top of the other is something that is irresistible.

Aromatic, red, acidic, and flavorful sparkling wines, such as Chianti, Zinfandel, Barbera, as well as dry, white sparkling wines, such as Pinot Grigio, go best with this dish.

Try to avoid red tannin wines or wines that are infused with too much oak as these can lend the tomato sauce a tin-like flavor.

Another trick to bear in mind is to make sure that you serve your sparkling wine all bubbly and cold. Try to check on some wine coolers in the market to help you with that.

Mac And Cheese

Macaroni and cheese also go well with sparkling wines. Interestingly enough, this pairing does more favors for the wine than it does for the macaroni for the bubbles in the sparkling wine do slice straight through the greasy quality of the butter and the cheese incorporated to the macaroni.

Sparkling wines made of Pinot noir, Chardonnay, and Meunier grapes are a perfect pair for mac and cheese. These variants of sparkling wines are dry, light, and flinty, with concentrated levels of acidity, as well as distinct mineral contents. When sipped with mac and cheese, these sparkling wines will complement the thick, creamy, and dense cream texture of the dish.

Fried Chicken

Champagne is a perfect foil against a fried chicken’s fatty portion as the wine slices through both the oil and the salt. A Brut version of Champagne would go well with a crisp fried chicken because while dry styles are good, they are much sweeter than you might think.

However, Champagne can be costly, and the expense of pairing it with a typical food, like a plate of fried chicken, may not always be worth it. Therefore, you may just opt for sparkling wines, like Crémant, Cava, and Prosecco. Worry not as the experience would be as splendid as drinking a glass of Champagne.

Hot And Spicy Chicken

Now, if you’re eating hot and spicy chicken, that is another story altogether. You are going to need some extra flavor and some silkiness to balance that spiciness out.

You might want to match it with a bottle of Rosé Slovenian sparkling wine. Its silkiness, the touch of residual sugar, as well as its fruity quality, will stand up nicely against all that extra heat and spice.

Modern Lambrusco, a sparkling wine that is mildly spritzed and a little dry and soft, is another right choice to pair with spicy fried chicken. Since Modern Lambrusco is a red-grape-based wine, it contains tannin that embraces the fried chicken’s protein and fat. It’s also acidic, which slices right through the finger-licking goodness of the spicy fried chicken.

Pistachio Crusted Scallops

Scallop dishes are a complicated food type to match with sparkling wines because scallops are light, yet juicy and sweet-tasting.

A sparkling wine called Cue Oenothèque and scallops would be like coffee and sugar. With the former’s vibrant minerality and delicate oxidative tones, it expands the sea notes and enhances the aroma of the latter.

Sushi And Ramen

Sushi, an authentic, traditional Japanese dish, usually contains vegetables, seafood, and a variety of other ingredients. However, the main ingredient is prepared vinegared rice. There’s a wide range of sushi styles and presentations. Sushi usually has raw fish, frozen very well to kill parasites. The main ingredient of sushi is the “shari,” “sumeshi,” or “sushi rice.”

When eating sushi, the best wine pair is a dry Riesling. If you prefer hot sushi such as a tuna tataki with delicious spicy ponzu, choose an off-dry Riesling. On the other hand, sweeter wines tend to cut the spice, thus cooling the palate.

What about ramen and sparkling wine? Do they make a good pair? You can also pair sparkling wine with your favorite ramen noodle. You can make fresh ramen noodles at home quickly and easily. For shoyu ramen, you can pair it with light- or medium-bodied red wine. Light and bright California Pinot Noirs won’t overwhelm the texture, playing well with the ramen’s savory flavor. Hence, Japan takes pride in its sparkling wines, perfect for its authentic foods, such as ramen.

So, how do you want to enjoy Japan’s sparkling wines? Treat yourself and your adult family and friends with the fizzy and loveable taste of sparkling wines genuinely made from the Land of the Rising Sun. Whatever sparkling wine brand you choose; you can enjoy this beverage with different savory Japanese cuisines.

Conclusion

Food pairing is all about balance, and while a blast of effervescence might feel refreshing, it can, at times, feel abrasive on your palate. Having said that, there is always the right sparkling wine for every moment, particularly for every entree.