Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine that pairs well with Hawaiian Pizza, Jalapeno Poppers, Corn Dogs, Salad, Eggs, Cured Meats, and Crab Cakes. If the food is high in fat, deep-fried, nutty, or full of healthy green vegetables, Prosecco will pair up well with the dish.
Prosecco has fresh flavours of pears, melon, lemon, apple, apricot and peach. You’ll also find soft notes of almond, toast, yeast and honey.
Prosecco’s high acidity and its bubbly nature make it a great pairing with anything high in fat, deep-fried or cheesy as the bubbles strip away the taste bud clogging fats away from your tongue. Fats stick around when we eat fatty foods, numbing our sense of taste. This is why we often overeat as we are trying to recapture those initial first bites before our taste buds are clogged. With a glass of Prosecco, we are sated earlier as every bite will be as delicious as the first.
Furthermore, the celebratory nature of Prosecco also makes it amazing with many hors d’oeuvre you’ll see featured at weddings and banquets such as bacon wrapped water chestnuts, blue cheese and pear toasts, pigs in a blanket, and cheese bites. The versatility of Prosecco is amazing with Brunch as it will go well with bacon and eggs, French Toast, Salmon, Hash Browns and Omelets.
Prosecco vs Champagne
Similar to how Champagne must be from the Champagne region of France, Prosecco must be produced in North Eastern Italy. The main difference between Prosecco and Champagne is the cost. Champagne costs more as it is more labour intensive as it is fermented twice. The double fermentation gives Champagne richer flavours of brioche, nuts, fruit, and toast.
Prosecco is only fermented once in a single tank, and while bubbly, Prosecco’s bubbles aren’t as rich or long-lasting as Champagne’s bubbles.
Caprese salad is a vibrant Italian salad made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. The bright acidity and effervescence of the Prosecco help to cut through the richness of the mozzarella and balance the sweetness of the tomatoes. The wine’s light fruitiness of pear, apple and apricot also complements the fresh, herbaceous flavour of the basil.
The combination of the Prosecco and Caprese salad makes for a refreshing and satisfying pairing that highlights the best of both the wine and the dish.
Jalapeño Poppers & Prosecco Pairing
I have to come clean! Jalapeño Poppers paired with Prosecco is something I enjoy on my birthday. I don’t enjoy this pairing at a restaurant with good company like a civilized person. Nope, instead, I’ll buy a box of frozen Jalapeño Poppers from the grocery store and deep fry them when I’m alone at home. Then I pop open a Prosecco Superiore from the Valdobbiadene sub-region of Italy and enjoy the pairing standing next to the kitchen counter, often burning the roof of my mouth on the molten mozzarella cheese.
If you don’t know what a Jalapeño Popper is, it’s a deep-fried breaded chunk of mozzarella wrapped around a Jalapeño Pepper. The deep-fried flavours of the breaded cheese are mellow but greasy, but you also get a pleasant kick of spice from the Jalapeño pepper.
Prosecco goes well with Jalapeño Poppers as the slight sweetness of the wine helps put out some of the heat of the Jalapeño Peppers. The crispness of the wine also cuts through the greasiness, scrubbing all the fats and breading away from your tongue.
Should you not be like me and share this pairing with others at a small get-together? Absolutely yes! Will I judge you if instead you keep this secret to yourself and eat the Jalapeño Poppers and Prosecco like some sort of freakish cave troll? Probably not, as I’ll be too busy doing the same.
Garlic Bread & Prosecco Pairing
Prosecco paired with garlic bread is a classic combination, perfect for a casual get-together or a cozy night in. The dry and crisp bubbles of the Prosecco help to cut through the richness of the butter and garlic on the bread, while its acidity helps to balance the flavours as the wine is going to introduce some notes of apricot, lemon, orange, pear and apple.
Cutting through the richness of the butter and garlic is critical; otherwise, when you’re three bites in, the garlic bread won’t have much flavour as your taste buds will be clogged up. Thus, you’ll feel like a dog chasing its tail as you try to recapture those first few delicious bites.
Finally, the light fruitiness of the Prosecco never interferes with all the sinful flavours of your garlic, ensuring you can revel in all the pungent, buttery, and doughy bliss of this amazing comfort food.
Popcorn & Prosecco Pairing
Popcorn and Prosecco may seem like an unlikely pair, but the contrast of the light, crisp bubbles of the Prosecco with the salty, crunchy texture of the popcorn is a delicious and unique combination. Prosecco’s acidity helps cut through the richness of the butter or oil used to make the popcorn, while the effervescence of the wine helps to cleanse the palate between bites.
Furthermore, the light fruitiness of Prosecco, along with its almond and toast flavours, pair well with the nutty, buttery flavour of popcorn. This pairing can be a fun and unexpected way to enjoy Prosecco and is perfect for a casual get-together or movie night.
A word of warning, if you are trying to sneak a bottle of Prosecco into the movie theatre, have a plan. You’ll have to time the popping of your cork with something in the movie to mask the obvious noise!
Crab Cakes & Prosecco Pairing
Crab cakes and Prosecco make for an elegant and sophisticated pairing. The delicate flavour of crab meat is complemented by the crisp, dry bubbles of Prosecco. The wine’s acidity helps to cut through the richness of the crab cakes and balance out the flavours, while its effervescence refreshes the palate between bites.
Meanwhile, the Prosecco’s light citrus fruitiness also complements the crab meat’s delicate and subtle flavours, much like a squeeze of lemon on seafood would.
Prosecco will go well with all types of seafood. However, the crisp acidity of Prosecco makes it a no-brainer with any fried or battered seafood dish, including Battered Shrimp, Fish and Chips or deep-fried Calamari.
