The Food & Wine Guide to Perfect Pairings: 150+ Delicious Recipes Matched with the World's Most Popular Wines

SPARKLING

CHAMPAGNE & OTHER SPARKLING WINES

CHAMPAGNE The grande dame of all sparkling wines, Champagne comes from one place and one place only: the cool-climate region of Champagne, in northern France, respected worldwide for wines of outstanding complexity and ageability. That said, the traditional method employed to make sparkling wine in Champagne has been used around the world for centuries. This method hinges on a two-step fermentation process: The first is carried out in a tank or barrel (as with most still wines), and the second, by which the glorious bubbles are instilled into the wine, takes place in the bottle.

Champagnes are made using varying percentages of three grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Percentages depend on the desired style, from light and delicate all the way to rich and vinous. While actual French Champagne is not an inexpensive drink—the wines take a serious amount of time and manpower to make—nonvintage brut versions (dry wines that are blends of different years) can offer great value. Vintage-dated bottlings, along with Blanc de Blancs (white wines made from Chardonnay) and Blanc de Noirs (white wines made from red grapes), tend to be pricier; and the great têtes de cuvées such as Dom Pérignon and Cristal can be very pricey indeed.

There is no question that Champagne represents luxury and indulgence, but to in-the-know wine lovers, it’s also fantastic with crispy fried chicken or a bowl of salty potato chips. (The bubbles interact with salt in an almost magical way.) While Champagne is certainly excellent with appetizers, it can be equally delicious throughout the entire meal. Sommeliers, in fact, love to say that Champagne goes well with everything. Whether that’s absolutely true, there’s no denying that it’s tremendous with shellfish, scrambled eggs, creamy soups and pastas, fish and lighter meats.

PROSECCO Italy makes a handful of different sparkling wines (Franciacorta, Lambrusco, Moscato d’Asti), but its signature fizz is undeniably Prosecco, the lightly floral, fruit-forward sparkler from the regions just north of Venice. You will find it on tap in every bacaro in Venice’s backstreets, served with antipasti like fresh salads and seafood, and now you'll see it on nearly every store shelf in the US, too. The best Proseccos are made with grapes from the steep slopes of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene, an area just south of the Alps that benefits from brilliant sun and cooling breezes. Prosecco can be made from a handful of different varieties, but the most important is a white grape called Glera. Prosecco winemakers utilize a much quicker (months versus years) process than Champagne producers for getting bubbles in their wine, called the Charmat method. In it, grapes are fermented as usual, then the juice is sealed in enormous pressurized stainless steel vats for the second fermentation. The result: frothy, approachable wines that are both affordable and light-hearted. A brunch go-to, Prosecco is otherwise best with lighter foods and starters.

CAVA While Cava can legally come from anywhere in Spain, the greatest examples are made in a part of Catalonia called Penedès, south and west of Barcelona. The area has been producing sparkling wine, using the same method as Champagne, since Josep Raventós bottled the first Cava in the late 1800s. Here, producers make dry sparkling wines with varying amounts of three native Spanish grape varieties: Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Most Cava is nonvintage, but a few top wineries are beginning to invest in making reservas (aged for at least 15 months on the lees), an exciting development in the Cava world. At the same time, rosé Cava, created by blending in a percentage of red grape juice, is on the rise, giving breadth to a wine landscape that for a long time was quite homogeneous. Classic Cava has a distinct green apple perkiness and earthy depth that’s matched by soft bubbles. It goes as well with cheese and charcuterie, such as Spain’s classic jamón Iberico, as it does with seafood, salads and crispy fried snacks.

Grilled Escarole Toasts with Trout Roe

Winemaker Maggie Harrison of Antica Terra in Dundee, Oregon, transforms simple escarole into dinner party–worthy toasts: She tops each one with crème fraîche and trout roe, which is smaller, milder and less salty than salmon roe.

TIME 45 min total

MAKES 6 servings

CONTRIBUTED BY Maggie Harrison

Two 10- to 12-oz. heads of escarole

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 Tbsp. chopped thyme

2 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt and pepper

Eighteen ½-inch-thick baguette slices, cut on a wide diagonal

Crème fraîche and trout roe, for serving

STEP 1 Light a grill. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Holding the escarole by the root end, dip the heads in the water to release any dirt between the leaves. Shake off the excess water.

STEP 2 In a small bowl, whisk the ½ cup of olive oil with the thyme and garlic. Brush the escarole with garlic oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat until charred outside and tender within, about 20 minutes; brush a few times with garlic oil during grilling. Transfer to a work surface and let cool, then coarsely chop.

STEP 3 Brush the baguette slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred on both sides, about 2 minutes.

STEP 4 In a large bowl, toss the escarole with any remaining garlic oil; season with salt and pepper. Top the toasts with the escarole, crème fraîche and roe and serve.

WINE TIP

Crisp Champagne is an outstanding match for the briny trout roe, rich crème fraîche and garlicky grilled bitter greens here.

Tuna Briks

Briks are small, triangular, savory pastries made throughout Tunisia with fillings that range from meat and egg to mashed potato. A universal ingredient, though, is harissa, a fiery North African chile paste. This delicious version is wrapped in store-bought phyllo dough and filled with scallions, capers and canned tuna.

TIME 30 min total

MAKES 8 small pies

CONTRIBUTED BY Kay Chun

Two 7-oz. cans tuna packed in water, drained well and flaked  

¼ cup finely chopped scallions  

¼ cup chopped drained capers  

¼ cup chopped parsley  

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. harissa

Kosher salt and pepper

6 sheets of phyllo dough  

1 large egg, beaten  

Canola oil, for frying

STEP 1 In a medium bowl, combine the tuna, scallions, capers, parsley, olive oil and harissa. Season with salt and pepper and mix gently.

STEP 2 On a work surface, make 2 stacks of 3 phyllo sheets each. Cut each stack crosswise into four 4-by-12-inch strips. Work with 1 strip at a time, keeping the rest covered with a damp kitchen towel. Place a heaping ¼ cup of the tuna filling at the end of a strip closest to you. Brush the edge of the other end with the beaten egg. Fold the corner of the phyllo over the filling to form a triangle. Continue folding the triangle up and over itself until you reach the end of the strip; press to adhere. Repeat with the remaining phyllo strips, filling and beaten egg.

STEP 3 In a large cast-iron skillet, heat ¼ inch of canola oil until shimmering. Fry 4 of the phyllo triangles over moderately low heat, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the briks to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the 4 remaining phyllo triangles. Serve hot.

Prep Ahead

The filled phyllo triangles can be refrigerated for up to 3 hours before frying.

Everything Twists

These fun puff pastry twists get the everything bagel treatment. Bonus: They can be frozen unbaked between sheets of parchment for up to one month.

TIME 20 min active; 1 hr 20 min total

MAKES About 32 twists

CONTRIBUTED BY Melissa Rubel Jacobson

1½ Tbsp. sesame seeds

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

2 tsp. caraway seeds

1½ Tbsp. dehydrated chopped onion

1½ tsp. coarse sea salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

One 14-oz. package all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen but still cold

1 egg beaten with 1½ tsp. water

STEP 1 In a small bowl, mix the sesame, poppy and caraway seeds with the onion, salt and garlic powder.

STEP 2 Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. On a floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry to an 11-by-14-inch rectangle; cut in half lengthwise. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle evenly with the seed mixture. Cut the pastry crosswise into ¾-inch-wide strips. Twist the strips and transfer to the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches in between. Freeze until firm, 30 minutes.

STEP 3 Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake the twists for about 22 minutes, until golden; shift the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Mexican Corn Popcorn

My absolute favorite thing to pair with Champagne is popcorn, says Jen Pelka of The Riddler Champagne bar in San Francisco, where this spicy version is a signature snack.

TIME 30 min total

MAKES 6 servings

CONTRIBUTED BY Jen Pelka

½ cup white cheese powder, such as King Arthur Vermont Cheese Powder

2 Tbsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. chipotle chile powder

1 tsp. crushed dried cilantro

½ tsp. ground dried lime zest or 1 tsp. finely grated lime zest

¼ tsp. cayenne

⅓ cup canola oil

¾ cup popping corn

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

STEP 1 In a small bowl, mix the cheese powder with the salt, chile powder, cilantro, lime zest and cayenne.

STEP 2 In a large saucepan, combine the canola oil and popping corn. Cover and cook over moderately high heat until the corn starts to pop. Shake the pan and cook, shaking occasionally, until the corn stops popping, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, add the melted butter and toss to coat. Add the cheese mixture, toss again and serve.

Note

King Arthur Vermont Cheese Powder is available at kingarthurflour.com.

Potato-Apple Pancakes

Tart Granny Smith apple and fresh dill punch up the flavor of these crispy potato pancakes. They’re fabulous on their own or with sour cream or slices of smoked salmon.

TIME 25 min total

MAKES 12 pancakes

CONTRIBUTED BY Kay Chun

2 baking potatoes, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater

¼ cup chopped dill

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and pepper

6 Tbsp. canola oil

Sour cream, for serving

STEP 1 Squeeze all the excess water from the potatoes and apple and place them in a medium bowl. Add the dill and flour, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat thoroughly.

STEP 2 In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Scoop four ¼-cup mounds of the potato mixture into the skillet; press gently to flatten. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once and adding 1 tablespoon of oil, until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Drain briefly on a paper towel–lined plate. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture and oil. Serve with sour cream.

Roasted Fingerling Potato & Pressed Caviar Canapés

For this easy yet impressive hors d’oeuvre, master chef Jacques Pépin tops roasted fingerling potatoes with sour cream and a diamond-shaped garnish of pressed caviar.

TIME 20 min active; 35 min total

MAKES 4 servings

CONTRIBUTED BY Jacques Pépin

10 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. pressed caviar (2 oz.; californiacaviar.com)

½ cup sour cream

Chives cut into twenty 1-inch lengths, for garnish

STEP 1 Preheat the oven to 400°. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with the oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes cut side down and roast for about 25 minutes, until tender and browned on the bottoms. Let cool to warm.

STEP 2 Meanwhile, roll out the caviar between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to a 5-by-6-inch rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Cut the sheet into 20 diamonds or rectangles.

STEP 3 Transfer the potatoes to a platter cut side up and dollop sour cream on each. Top with the caviar diamonds and garnish with the chives. Serve right away.

Shrimp Cakes

These tender little shrimp cakes, spiked with scallions, lemon zest and smoked paprika, are addictive, especially with the spicy mayo that’s served on the side.

TIME 30 min total

MAKES 4 servings

CONTRIBUTED BY Justin Chapple

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. hot sauce

1 lb. shelled and deveined shrimp, chopped

¾ cup panko

2 large eggs

3 Tbsp. finely chopped scallions

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

¾ tsp. smoked paprika

Kosher salt and pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Lemon wedges, for serving

STEP 1 In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the hot sauce.

STEP 2 In a large bowl, mix the chopped shrimp with the panko, eggs, scallions, lemon zest, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Form the mixture into eight ¾-inch-thick cakes.

STEP 3 In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. In batches, add the shrimp cakes and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plates and serve with the spicy mayonnaise and lemon.

Hand-Cut Fries with Smoked Aioli

Serving homemade fries will earn you favorite-cook status. Double-frying them ensures that the potatoes are ultra-crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

TIME 1 hr total

MAKES 6 servings

CONTRIBUTED BY Michael Paley

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 garlic clove

1 tsp. pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt and pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

3 large, very firm baking potatoes (about 2 lbs.), peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick sticks

STEP 1 In a food processor, puree the mayonnaise with the garlic, smoked paprika and lemon juice. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Scrape the aioli into a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

STEP 2 In a large saucepan, heat 1 inch of oil to 250°. In a large bowl, rinse the potatoes and pat thoroughly dry. Working in batches, fry the potatoes until they are almost tender and look dry on the outside, about 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

STEP 3 Increase the oil temperature to 350°. Cook the fries in batches until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and immediately season with salt. Sprinkle the fries with the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and serve with the smoked aioli.

WINE TIP

Salt and fat both love Champagne (and vice versa)—the wine’s high acidity and the prickle of those bubbles are the ideal preparation for the next bite, and the next, and the next, and so on.

Provoleta with Oregano & Tomatoes

Argentinean grill genius Francis Mallmann sears provolone cheese in a cast-iron skillet over a live fire until it’s crisp, browned and melty, but you can bake it in the oven as well.

TIME 15 min total

MAKES 4 servings

CONTRIBUTED BY Francis Mallmann

One 1-inch-thick slice of provolone cheese (½ lb.)

2 Tbsp. small oregano leaves

½ tsp. crushed red pepper

6 grape tomatoes, halved

Sea salt

Basil leaves, for garnish

Crusty bread, for serving

Preheat the oven to 450°. Heat a cast-iron skillet until hot. Add the cheese and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the oregano and ¼ teaspoon of the crushed red pepper. Cook over moderate heat until the cheese begins to melt and brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the cheese and cook until the bottom begins to melt and brown, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle all over with the remaining oregano and crushed red pepper and top with the grape tomatoes. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the tomatoes are warmed through, about 4 minutes. Season with sea salt, garnish with basil and serve with bread.

Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts & Sausage

Thinly sliced brussels sprouts add an earthy note to this superfast pasta with sausage. Panko mixed in with the spaghetti gives the dish a fabulous crunch.

TIME 20 min total

MAKES 2 servings

CONTRIBUTED BY Kay Chun

½ lb. spaghetti

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

½ lb. brussels sprouts, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

½ lb. loose pork sausage

1 cup panko

2 Tbsp. snipped chives

Kosher salt and pepper

Lemon wedges, for serving

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick