The key to picking good sparkling wines for your party is to visit a store that has knowledgeable staff and one that offers tastings.
Swati Bose, owner of Flight Wine Bar on 6th Street NW, suggests getting three types of bubbly if you're hosting a party that highlights sparkling wine and food pairings. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
And you don't need to go for the expensive champagne; Bose recommends selecting a light and crisp Cava or Prosecco, a bolder sparkling rosé and a sweeter, off-dry type of sparkling. Those three varieties will pair well with a few simple appetizers. Bose says you should be able to find a good bottle of each of the three varieties for between $13 and $17. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Once you select your three sparkling wines, it's time to plan the menu. How do you know what foods go with which wines? Bose says the most important thing when pairing food and wine is to match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine.
For example, a wine that is dry, light and crisp pairs best with a light, bright food. Similarly, more robust wines work better with bigger, bolder, flavorful foods.
When it comes to setting up your pairing party, Bose says you can place everything in stations, or set everything out together, giving your guests more freedom to try the different wines with different foods. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
Bose recommends starting your party with the Cava or Prosecco. She also says a sparking Chenin Blanc works well -- all of these light wines stimulate the palate. Whichever wine you choose to start with first, Bose says, keep the food simple. A few mild cheeses and some crostini are perfect for the first pairing. (AP Composite)
AP Composite
A bowl of marinated olives are also nice to nibble on while sipping a light sparkling wine. (AP Photos)
AP Photos
Bose calls sparkling rosé a real "crowd pleaser." In fact, if you aren't focusing on a pairing theme and are only serving one sparkling wine at your party, Bose recommends selecting a sparkling rosé. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
But if you are pairing your sparkling rosé with food, Bose says, you can go bigger with flavors. She recommends an earthy, flavorful side, such as mushrooms sauteed with pancetta and fig. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
A fried vegetable, such as zucchini fritters, also pairs nicely with a sparkling rosé, Bose says. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
When you break out the sweeter sparkling wine, it's also time to break out the sweet food. Sweet sparkling wines pair perfectly with desserts -- and especially a dessert with a kick, such as a chili chocolate. Bose likes to pair this final wine with a chocolate chili truffle bon bon. But really, anything with chocolate will work well. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
Feeling adventurous and want to add one more station? Why not serve some champagne cocktails? Bose says to set out a carafe of simple syrup, a carafe of muddled berries or fruit puree and a bottle of champagne. Guests can mix all of the ingredients in their glasses to make a champagne cocktail. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
Regardless of whether you're throwing a pairing party, setting out champagne cocktails, or just opening bubbly for your guests, knowing how to open a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine is important -- After all, flying corks can be dangerous.
Bose says to first remove the foil from the top and loosen the wire cage, but don't take the cage off the cork. "Once you do, there's a higher chance of the cork just flying off on its own, hitting somebody or going off in a direction you don't intend for it to go," she says.
Then hold the bottle in both hands. "Let's say your left hand's on the bottom of the bottle, right on top -- you rotate the bottle and turn the cork the opposite way."
Loosen it gently and release the cork slowly "so that when it pops, it's almost a whisper." And don't shy away from using a towel or napkin to gain a better grip on the cork. (AP Photo)
AP Photo
