The ultimate pairing: bubbly and popcorn
As I mentioned in my weekly Wine Down Eugene column for Eugene Daily News, I have never really been a fan of chocolate paired with wine. With just two or three times where I actually felt the paring was just right, I instead turn to pairings that are just right all the time. For instance, take popcorn and sparkling wine – the duo are a match made in heaven. Add Valentine’s Day into the mix, and change out that sparkling wine for a Brut Rosé for it’s festive, pinkish hue, and you’ve got yourself a Valentine’s Day like none other.
I love popcorn, it’s my absolute favorite food. Each year, on Valentine’s Day, I seek out new and intriguing popcorn recipes. After the kids have gone to bed, I make a great big bowl of popcorn for my husband and I. We cozy up on the couch in front of the TV and pop the cork on a bottle of Brut Rosé. Some of the best food and wine pairings I have ever come across have been on Valentine’s Day, with a bowl of popcorn and a Brut Rosé.
As I was on the hunt for the perfect popcorn recipe for this year’s movie date with my husband, I couldn’t decide on just one – I came across a plethora of tempting recipes. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been experimenting with many of the recipes I discovered, and I’ve been in popcorn and Brut Rosé bliss. My husband doesn’t know which recipe I’ve chosen for Valentine’s Day yet, but he’s well aware that I’ve been having a good time with my research. 
Mumm Napa’s delicious Brut Rosé
I narrowed down my findings to five mouthwatering popcorn recipes, and I sampled them with five different excellent quality and super delicious Brut Rosés – creating some stellar pairings.
Mumm Napa Brut Rosé with Pad Thai Popcorn ~ I loved these two together – they both offered similar characteristics that complemented each other with each bite and sip. The Brut Rosé’s sweet-ish strawberry and cherry aromas were highlighted by a zesty spice, much like the sweet and spicy essences of the Pad Thai. On the palate, the Brut Rosé’s bubbles danced while the fruit was balanced out by beautiful, zippy acidity that left the palate feeling super refreshed. The Pad Thai’s flavors seem to dance around the palate as well, and it also had a zippiness quality that came from the Asian spices used in the recipe. It was outstanding.
The Pines 1852 Brut Rosé 2010 with Truffle Popcorn ~ My husband and I, along with our two boys, headed to the Oregon Coast a couple weekends ago when we had that phenomenal three day treat of sun and warmth, smack dab in the middle of winter. We enjoyed The Pines 1852 Brut Rosé 2010 while watching the sunset, and it was truly one of the best pairings of all time. Yes, the Brut Rosé paired perfectly with the sunset (read about it here). Once the sun was down, I made some Truffle Popcorn to enjoy with the rest of the bottle, and the two were a perfect match. I make Truffle Popcorn quite often, it’s easy to make and the flavors really pop because of the truffle oil. The truffle oil I use comes from Dayton, Oregon’s Joel Palmer House, where the oil is flavored entirely from wild Oregon white truffles (it can be purchased on-line here.) Truffle oil has a really unique flavor that is mostly detected on the finish, just like the unique flavors of the Brut Rosé pronounced themselves on the way down. All of the flavors combined leave your palate wanting more, so be prepared to eat, drink, eat, drink and eat some more.
Pad Thai popcorn | photo: foodwishes.blogspot.com
Capitello Brut Rosé Olivia’s Cuvée with Caramel Popcorn with Bacon ~ Oh. My. This popcorn is absurdly delicious, and oh so sinful. The Olivia’s Cuvée Brut Rosé is full and round with an elegant mousse and subtle aromas and flavors of strawberries and baked pears, highlighted by zesty lime. Excellent acidity balances out the fruitiness, and it also slices through the bacon fat in the popcorn, creating a perfect pairing. I love it when sweet and spicy are topped off with salty and bubbles – it doesn’t get any better than this.
Ferrari Rosé Metodo Classico with Creamsicle Popcorn ~ This popcorn is dense (almost creamy-like) and delicious, but the orange zest livens it up and gives it a fresh spin. Ferrari Rosé offers elegant berry aromas and flavors of raspberries and strawberries with a hint of toasted hazelnuts and a long, creamy and beautifully exquisite finish. I loved the toasted hazelnut accents along with the orange zestiness of the popcorn. The flavors and textures combined created a really outstanding food and wine experience.
Mmmm – Biscoff Cookie Popcorn | photo: cafezupas.com
Argyle Brut Rosé 2010 with Biscoff Cookie Popcorn ~ Biscoff cookies have a really nice caramel flavor to them, and they are super popular in Europe to have alongside a cup of coffee. When I lived in Egypt years ago, they were one of very few cookies that could be found at the market, so I was a big Biscoff cookie fan back in the day. Just opening the package of cookies for this recipe brought back a slew of memories. Until making this popcorn, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as Biscoff spread (sort of like peanut butter, but sweeter and tastier) – a discovery that would have been priceless while living in Egypt. In the glass, Argyle’s Brut Rosé has thousands of tiny bubbles that travel north from the gorgeous coppery salmon hue. Aromas and flavors of wild strawberries, red cherries, roses and a hint of ginger flow seamlessly along the palate in creamy, lush and vibrant waves. Lovely acidity rounds out the fruit to bring on an elegantly balanced sparkling wine. This popcorn recipe was the sweetest of them all, so the bright acidity in the wine sort of tones down the sweetness, bringing it to a super palatable level.
Narrowing down my popcorn recipe finds was tough, but I was really on the hunt to find a single pairing for my Valentine movie date with my husband. Narrowing down from these five recipes was even tougher. But, I’ve decided I’m going with the Capitello Brut Rosé Olivia’s Cuvée with the Caramel Popcorn and Bacon recipe – it’s the ultimate pairing that is legitimately indulgent – perfect for Valentine’s Day.
Capitello’s delicious Brut Rosé Olivia’s Cuvée