Wine Pairing

At Pairable™, we believe bubbles shouldn’t be saved for weddings and New Year’s Eve. Sparkling wine is one of the most versatile, food-friendly, and downright joyful beverages out there — and it’s time to break it out of its special-occasion cage. Whether it’s true Champagne or a crisp Cava, sparkling wine deserves a permanent spot in your anytime pairing playbook. So let’s get into it — what makes sparkling wine sparkle, why some bottles cost more than your electric bill, and why you should 100% pop open a bottle next time you order pizza. Step One: How the Bubbles Get There Not all bubbles are made the same way, and that makes a big difference in flavor, texture, and price. Traditional Method (a.k.a. Champagne Method) Base wine is fermented, bottled, and then ferments a second time inside that very same bottle. Yeast and sugar (tirage) are added, creating bubbles. After aging (sometimes years), bottles are gradually rotated to collect yeast sediment, then disgorged (yeast removed) and finished with a touch of sugar (dosage). Result: Fine bubbles, creamy texture, complex flavors from long lees aging (think toast, brioche, and almond). Used in: Champagne, Cava, Franciacorta, Crémant, Mousseux, Espumoso.   Tank Method (a.k.a. Charmat) Second fermentation happens in a big pressurized tank, not individual bottles. Faster, cheaper, and designed to preserve fresh, fruity flavors. Result: Bigger, frothier bubbles and bright, primary fruit flavors. Used in: Prosecco, Spumante, Sekt.   Ancestral Method (a.k.a. Pet-Nat) Wine is bottled before fermentation finishes, so bubbles form naturally. Result: Often funky, rustic, cloudy, and unpredictable — but very fun. Used in: Loire Valley, Jura, and the trendy natural wine scene. Pressure Makes the Bubbles Not all sparkling wines are equally fizzy. Here’s the cheat sheet: Style Pressure (bar)  PSI (equivalent) Example Beady <1 bar Flat tire Vinho Verde, Pet Nats Semi-Sparkling 1-2.5 bar Leaky tire Frizzante (Italy), Pétillant (France), Spritzig (Germany) Fully Sparkling 2-4 bar 5-7 bar Auto tire Bike tire Prosecco Champagne, Franciacorta, Cava More pressure = finer bubbles = creamier texture = usually higher price. Terroir & Grapes: What’s Inside the Bottle? Where your bubbles come from — and which grapes are in the blend — totally shape what you taste. Wine Region Grapes Typical Profile Champagne France Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier Toasty, citrus, brioche Prosecco Italy Glera Pear, peach, floral Cava Spain Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel·lo Citrus, green apple, almond Franciacorta Italy Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco Creamy, nutty, rich Crémant France (outside Champagne) Varies by region Fruity, floral, elegant Sweetness Matters — Brut vs. Extra Dry (Wait, What?) Sparkling wine labels tell you how sweet (or not) they are. Here’s what those terms really mean: Term Sugar (g/L) Taste Brut Nature 0-3 Bone dry Extra Brut 0-6 Very dry Brut 0-12 Dry Extra Dry 12-17 Off-dry (a little sweet) Demi-Sec 32-50 Sweet Doux 50+ Very sweet Fun fact: Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut — one of wine’s little curveballs. Champagne vs. ‘Champagne’: The Legal Drama In Europe, Champagne is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) — meaning only sparkling wine made in Champagne, France, using approved grapes and methods, can legally carry the name. In the US, that wasn’t always the case. For decades, American producers (especially in California) freely slapped “Champagne” on any sparkling wine — until the 2006 US-EU Champagne Accord. Now: Pre-2006 brands like Korbel and Cook’s can still call themselves California Champagne. New producers must label their wine sparkling wine — no exceptions. Most of today’s top US sparkling producers, like Schramsberg, Roederer Estate, and Domaine Carneros, proudly skip the “Champagne” label and focus on making world-class American sparkling wine with its own identity. The Culture Clash: US vs. Europe and Everyday Bubbles US: Bubbles = Celebration Thanks to decades of marketing, Americans still see sparkling wine as a special-occasion beverage — weddings, New Year’s Eve, big milestones. Europe: Bubbles = Everyday In France, Italy, and Spain, sparkling wine is just part of dinner. Cava with tapas? Prosecco with aperitivo? Champagne with fried chicken? Absolutely. At Pairable™, we’re all about bringing that everyday sparkle mindset to your table. You don’t need a promotion to pop a bottle. The Pairable™ Pairing Playbook: Bubbles + Food – Perfect Pairings You Didn’t See Coming Sparkling Pair With Champagne Scrambled eggs, oysters, fried chicken Prosecco Brunch frittata, prosciutto, melon salad Cava Jamón, grilled shrimp, patatas bravas Franciacorta Creamy risotto, truffle popcorn Crémant Soft cheeses, sushi, vegetable tempura 🍿 But Why Popcorn and Chips? Sparkling wine has high acidity + bubbles — the perfect cut-through for salty, fatty, crispy snacks. Potato chips, truffle fries, and buttered popcorn are A+ partners for Champagne or Cava. The Pairable™ Takeaway Stop saving sparkling wine for special occasions. ✨ Pair it with your weeknight takeout. ✨ Pop it with brunch. ✨ Sip it with popcorn during movie night. Because every meal deserves a little sparkle — and Pairable™ is here to help you find your perfect match.