What Sparkling Wine To Pair With Swedish Meatballs?

One of the most popular Swedish dishes to enjoy is the Svenska Köttbullar, otherwise known as Swedish Meatballs, but what makes these Meatballs Swedish?

The typical Meatball that comes to mind to most people is the Italian Meatballs in a tomato and herb sauce, Swedish Meatballs are typically smaller, made with a 50-50 ratio of ground pork and ground beef, you may also find nutmeg and allspice included, the Meatballs are also cooked in their own creamy gravy, made with beef broth and cream.

Is The Swedish Meatball From Sweden?

Swedish Meatballs in Swedish is ‘Svenska Köttbullar’

The Swedish Meatball was first created in Sweden, but it was based on a recipe brought back from Turkey in the early 18th century. King Charles XII of Sweden brought the recipe back with him after he was exiled to the Ottoman Empire.

Sparkling Wine in Swedish is ‘Mousserande vin’

When looking around the world to find a Sparkling Wine to pair with these Meatballs, I landed on a Slovenian Sparkling Wine from the Goriška Brda region.

Medot – Extra-Brut Cuvée – Slovenia

Aroma 👃 “A fantastic elegant display of yellow floral, blossom, yellow fruits, and yellow citrus aromas.”

Flavour 👅 “Citrus focused, with more subtle yellow citrus, gooseberry and hints candy lemon citrus sweets.”

Silver Medal Winner in the Sea Breeze Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2021

May I have a Glass of Sparkling Wine in Swedish is ‘Får jag ta ett glas mousserande vin’

The Medot estate lies across three hectares in the heart of Goriška Brda, The wine tradition of the Simčič family goes back to as early as 1812. If you’re interested in finding out more about this unique Slovenian Sparkling Wine then check out A Visit To Slovenian Sparkling Wine Medot.

The Goriška Brda region in Slovenian hasn’t always been a top-quality wine region, back in 1812, the region was poor, people were struggling to make ends meet, but with the hard and relentless work from families like the Simčič family, working the ground, overcoming the challenges of nature, but even when the region started producing wine, it was hard to sell, and it would take years to gain recognition for the work they all were putting in.

Zvonimir Simčič, otherwise known as ‘Bric’ who studied at one of the most prestigious international oenological schools in Italy, with this knowledge he started looking at the Goriška Brda region, he saw a new potential route to take, he decided to plant a lot of Rebula grapes, he was nicknamed ‘the Father of Rebula’, this decision ended up gaining attention and the region grow in popularity and started to flourish, becoming the region we know today.

Swedish Meatballs and Slovenian Fizz

Pairing Notes – “The savoury meaty flavours are rushed with a wave of yellow citrus, but not overwhelmed, both the dish and wine work together to create a subtle harmonised pairing.”

Information Credit: Swedish Meatballs