Whether it’s called Cremant, Cava, Prosecco, Col Fondo, Champagne or Metodo Classico, sparkling wine is made in wine regions around the world from regional or international grapes and using various production methods. While we typically think about this bubbly beverage when we’re in a celebratory mood, it’s a great wine to pair well with many different dishes. During 2020, here on Wine Predator we explored sparkling wine pairings in a series of twelve articles which featured sparkling wines from around the world, which is also the theme for this month’s Wine Pairing Weekend.

What should you pair sparkling wine with? Check out these ideas:

 

• Seven Grapes, Seven Styles from Italy With Finger Foods

• Celebrate the Season with Biodynamic Bubbles from Bourgogne and Alsace with Festive Finger Foods

• Crémant from Bordeaux Paired with Bisque, Gourmet Grilled Cheese

• Biodynamic Champagne Vincent Charlot “Fruit of My Passion” + Prawns, Polenta

• Sparkling Wine Secrets: Seek DO Cava and Pair with Spanish Pork Chops and Potatoes

• Prosecco! Perfecto! Splendido!

• Celebrate Summer with a Nice Cold Dry RED Sparkler: Lambrusco to the Rescue Paired with Pizza!

• Oregon’s A to Z Wineworks Paired with Summer Salads and Sandwiches

• For Teachers, Moms, Friends: Show Appreciation with Organic Corvezzo Prosecco and PortoVino Purses

• Catalonia Cava from Marqués de Cáceres with Spanish Chorizo Kale Bean Stew

• Italy’s Franciacorta paired with tacos

• Crémant de Bourgogne from Henri Champliau with fresh mussels 

Because five of last year’s sparkling wine articles featured Italian wines, four featured French wines, two were Spanish, and one was from Oregon, for Wine Pairing Weekend this month hosted by Andrea of The Quirky Cork Sue and I decided to focus on “Sparkling Wine Secrets” from less known places around the world like Austria, Germany, South Africa, Argentina, Lodi, and maybe even southern Oregon!

Wines 

Menu

We decided to pair these wines with appetizers like baked brie and for a main course, as much as I love seafood with sparkling wine, I asked Sue to make Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy because fried foods pair so well with sparkling wines AND because we’re celebrating my birthday. Growing up, for my birthday meal, my mom made chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes. and my dad made gravy plus my dad’s mom made the best fried chicken so it connects me with my family.  

After we made these plans and decided on the wines, we moved onto our scheduled tasting and pairing. And then that night, my son tested positive for COVID, and when I talked to my doc, she said to assume I have it too, and then my spouse tested positive. Fortunately, our COVID precautions prevailed and Sue did NOT test positive. However, we postponed my bubbly birthday bash until my actual birthday 1/11/22!

So stay tuned for our tastings notes on these sparkling wine secrets from unusual places around the world! And please take this survey to help me decide which travel tours (Domestic and abroad, wine, writing, walking, or other topics) might interest YOU and others! 
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In the meantime, there’s lots of ideas from 2021 to review, and here’s fresh ideas from my colleagues at Wine Pairing Weekend:

• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm bubbles over about Celebrating Little Christmas in Michigan with a Local Bubbly
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla sabers open Gelukkige Nuwe Jaar with Pannekoeke + Boschendal Brut Rosé
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass cracks open Cava: Because everybody needs a go-to bubbly
• Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog pops the cork on Sparkling Wine from Chablis? Oui! Val de Mer Brut Nature Rosé
• Anna Maria of Unraveling Wine toasts us with 10 Best Greek Sparkling Wines with Pairings #WinePW
• David at Cooking Chat Food disgorges Baked Fiesta Dip with Mexican Bubbly
• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles riddles with Bubbles by any other name…Sparkling wines from all over the globe
• Jennifer of Vino Travels charms with Upcoming the Game with Asolo Prosecco
• Lisa at The Wine Chef adds dosage with Dive Into the OG Bubbly With Blanquette de Limoux #WinePW
• Nicole at Somm’s Table gets cagey with Re-introducing Cava!
• Gwendolyn from Wine Predator adds the crown with A Dozen Sparkling Wine Secrets from Around the World
• Susannah from Avvinare sparkles with Brazilian sparklers come of age
• Terri at Our Good Life shares Favorite Bubbles from Around the World
• Andrea from The Quirky Cork celebrates with A Vertical Tasting of Vinkara’s Yaşasın