The Best Sparkling Wine for Spicy Sardines
18th June 2021
If you are looking for a sparkling wine to pair with spicy dishes then rosé examples are always a great place to start your search. Depending on the types of foods and level of spiciness, then there are many wonderful sparkling wines which are rosé to choose from such as labels from Prosecco, Champagne, Cava, England and more.
Rosé sparkling wines also pair very well with certain desserts and especially fresh fruit dishes.
“Any Sommelier knows it and will always recommend it as the best match for a sophisticated dish. Even though rosé sparkling wines have an intense flavor, they have also a lot of acidity. This makes them perfect for a variety of dishes, being extremely popular in a restaurant’s menu.” source glassofbubbly
Spicy Sardines
Sardines are very versatile in how they can be cooked and served from those simply placed on the BBQ to options such as garlic and herb crusted roasted sardines. For this article, we want to look at a simple to prepare spicy option.
Preparation is simply adding a sprinkling of black pepper, a squeeze of lemon and a dried hot chilli pepper crushed and dusted over (hotter style pepper). 20 mins cooked in the oven on high heat in a tray lightly spread with olive oil.
Frelih Rosé Brut – Slovenian Sparkling Wine
For a hot and spicy meat dish, I would opt for the Frelih rosé sparkling wine that offers a delicious acidic / dry strawberry aroma and flavour and is able to cut through greasy and oily dishes so to leave a fruity expression and delicate food flavours.
Frelih Rosé Brut – Tasting Notes: “Raspberry ripple, creamy strawberry on the nose. Crisp and dry initially that mellows to a touch of creamy in the length. Subtle red berry fruits, clean and clear in style. Excellent for food pairings. Paired with spicy, grilled sardines.”
Spicy Sardines paired with Frelih Rosé Brut – Tasting Notes: “With the spicy initial hit from the sardines, the Frelih comes to the rescue leaving a delicate raspberry expression through to mid length. The spicy, savoury sardine expression slowly reappears towards the close. A quick-fire refreshing and explosive experience for the palate.“
Christopher Walkey
Co-founder of Glass of Bubbly. Journalist and author focused on Champagne & Sparkling Wines and pairing them with foods.