WTN /WineAdvisor: Bubbly and popcorn!

[Robin Garr]

Bubbly and popcorn!

It's been a long, hot, dry summer in these parts, but it's finally starting to feel distinctly like autumn now, even if the still green leaves look like they're only going to turn brown and fall off the trees without much in the way of seasonal color.

I'm not much of a fan of the colder part of the year and would just as soon enjoy an endless spring with just a little taste of summer if I could work it out that way. But we play the cards we're dealt, so I take part of my joy of the colder seasons from the warmth and light of the house, and the hearty goodies that tend to be reserved for winter: Roasts, baked beans, fresh breads, and of course, an occasional bowl of hot, buttered popcorn.

And to go with the popcorn, what better match than a frothy glass of something bubbly?

Popcorn and bubbly? Don't knock it if you haven't tried it. Lightly buttered, freshly popped popcorn makes a surprising match. Something about the light carbonation makes the match as addictive as movie popcorn and a giant cola. Just take care not to let the seductive flavors prompt you to over-consumption.

As I wrote on this topic back in 2001, The idea of serving wine with popcorn might sound like a joke, but plenty of wine enthusiasts swear that you can't beat a cold glass of bubbly with a bowl of hot, buttered popcorn for a quiet evening at home with a good movie.

I'm not sure I would try this match with an expensive Champagne, but try it with a modest but flavorful Spanish Cava or, maybe better still, a Prosecco from Northeastern Italy, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's a delicious demonstration of the happy news that wine doesn't have to be reserved for fancy fare.

Today's tasting report features Riondo non-vintage Veneto Prosecco ($12.99), a sibling of the surprisingly elegant pink Raboso from Prosecco that we featured in March, Cantine Riondo "Pink" Prosecco Raboso. It's crisp, dry, fruity and floral, with a good Italian-style frizzante carbonation that goes just great with, well, popcorn.

Riondo non-vintage Veneto Prosecco ($12.99)

Clear light gold, pours up with a frothy mousse that falls back fast. Interesting fruit and floral aromas, plums and pears. Fresh and frothy on the palate, white fruit and soft acidity; clean and quenching, with just a touch of peach-pit bitterness in the finish. U.S. importer: Grapes Solutions Inc., Dover, Del. (Oct. 20, 2008)

FOOD MATCH: Popcorn! Don't knock it if you haven't tried it, but take care ... the combination of crisp bubbly and buttered, salted popcorn is so addictive that you'll want to use a little will power to govern your portion control.

VALUE: Although no one would compare Prosecco with real Champagne for complexity or elegance, it's my personal pick when a more modest bubbly is called for. The Riondo is more than fair at this low-teens price, but shop around, as you'll find it in some markets for less than $10.

WHEN TO DRINK: Prosecco is best enjoyed fresh; since it's not easy to determine the age of a non-vintage wine, I suggest relying on a trustworthy retailer with good turnover.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and check prices for Riondo Prosecco on Wine-Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Riond ... g_site=WLP

Subscribe to The 30 Second Wine Advisor

[David M. Bueker]

Mmm...popcorn and bubbly!!! That's a house favorite for us.

Yup, works well. Sounds so iconoclastic, yet if you think about it, the popcorn is fairly neutral, a little (please, only a little) salty and a bit buttery. If you think of the other things that Champers works with you can come up with some much worse soundng combos - saltier with anchovy and such, yet they work really well.

I'd agree about the Cava (how could I do less after my rant about ribs and bubby in the other thread)

Rionolo is a very good and very reliable Prosecco frizzante - probably about the best frizzante, acutally. Actually, Martini & Rossi's Prosecco frizante is quite good too. Mioneto was quite decent the one time I had it. For spumante, I like Canella. Col Sandago was very good the one time I had it, and Zardetto isn't bad either.. I can see how the popcorn thing would work, although I don't know if I'd try it. I think the best match I've had was Canella with pesto-mozzarella fresca crostini, and salmon-bacon-mirpoix crostini.

[Jenise]

Popcorn and "portion control" should never appear in the same sentence.

We're convinced already, enough ! I can't take the waiting !

But we are waiting, at least until after this Sunday's dinner, for our Dexter viewing party. It's popcorn and a champagne taste-off with basic Brut from Pol Roger, Roederer and Lasalle. Petey thinks he's found real fresh ones, with good amounts of 2005 juice.

I mentioned this combination to SWMBO and am now under orders to produce it this very night, bubbly and popcorn being two of her favourite things.

I'll opt for a vintage Cava I think.

While on the topic (sort of) of popcorn, let me add a word about theatre popcorn. Not only is it ridiculously expensive, it is usually popped with something horrid (in terms of saturated fat) like coconut oil (although this is dropping off, many still use this - more than 2X the sat fat of lard) and drenched with 'golden topping' which is some sort of margarine-like compound that most still call 'butter' when they ask you if you want some.

Air popped home brew is much nicer even if you add some real butter to it - well OK, especially if you add soem real butter to it.

Or potato chips and bubbly! Robin turned me on to that one. I never ate Potato chips until I tried that match


Richard

[Jenise]

Petey thinks he's found real fresh ones, with good amounts of 2005 juice.

Petey sounds really useful. Everybody should have a friend like Petey.

[Jenise]

Not only is it ridiculously expensive, it is usually popped with something horrid (in terms of saturated fat) like coconut oil (although this is dropping off, many still use this - more than 2X the sat fat of lard) and drenched with 'golden topping' which is some sort of margarine-like compound that most still call 'butter' when they ask you if you want some.

Air popped home brew is much nicer even if you add some real butter to it - well OK, especially if you add soem real butter to it.

In total agreement with all of the above. And what's more, I like my popcorn minimally salted. Have you tried truffle oil yet in place of butter? MMMMMM!, and you can get by with even less fat.

In total agreement with all of the above. And what's more, I like my popcorn minimally salted. Have you tried truffle oil yet in place of butter? MMMMMM!, and you can get by with even less fat.

Try this one!

http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails.aspx?dishid=9038

[Robin Garr]

Popcorn and "portion control" should never appear in the same sentence.

I wasn't talking about portion control with regard to the popcorn ... <hic!>

We drink the heck out of the Riondo Prosecco. We get it for about $10 locally and make Kir with it most of the time. We will have to try it straight up with some popcorn.

So, we attempted to introduce champagne with popcorn at our weekly Dexter-night get-together. Petey Peabody opened one bottle of Roederer Brut, the bottle showed well but was basically hooted down by all the beer drinkers. I liked the bubbly pairing myself well enough to try again in another setting, though I did miss having my glass of Bear Republic Racer 5 Ale to quench the thirst.

[Robin Garr]

We drink the heck out of the Riondo Prosecco. We get it for about $10 locally and make Kir with it most of the time. We will have to try it straight up with some popcorn.

Pedantic point: A Kir with bubbly is a Kir Royale.

There, I feel so much better now.

We drink the heck out of the Riondo Prosecco. We get it for about $10 locally and make Kir with it most of the time. We will have to try it straight up with some popcorn.

Pedantic point: A Kir with bubbly is a Kir Royale.

There, I feel so much better now.

Allow me to be even more pedantic and suggest (I had to look it up as I wasn't sure) that only Champagne can make a Royale. From Wiki (which certainly isn't an infallible source:

Besides the basic Kir, a number of variations exist:

Kir Royal - made with Champagne
Kir Pétillant - made with sparkling wine
Communard/Cardinal - made with red wine instead of white
Kir Imperial - made with raspberry liqueur instead of cassis, and Champagne
Kir Normand - made with Normandy cider instead of wine.
Kir Breton - made with Breton cider instead of wine.
Cidre Royal - made with cider instead of wine, with a measure of calvados added.
Hibiscus Royal - made with sparkling wine, peach liqueur, raspberry liqueur, and an edible hibiscus flower.
Kir Peche - made with peach liqueur.

BTW, the herbs de provence and garlic in the popcorn recipe I suggested worked just great with the Cava we opened!

Yup, works well. Sounds so iconoclastic, yet if you think about it, the popcorn is fairly neutral, a little (please, only a little) salty and a bit buttery. If you think of the other things that Champers works with you can come up with some much worse soundng combos - saltier with anchovy and such, yet they work really well.

I'd agree about the Cava (how could I do less after my rant about ribs and bubby in the other thread)

Bill, I was about to totally get on your case--until I read your last sentence.

Bill, I was about to totally get on your case--until I read your last sentence.

Whew! Dodged a bullet and I didn't even know it!

[Jenise]

In total agreement with all of the above. And what's more, I like my popcorn minimally salted. Have you tried truffle oil yet in place of butter? MMMMMM!, and you can get by with even less fat.

Try this one!

http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails.aspx?dishid=9038

Wow--I will! And this inspired a new thread on the Food Forum.

Pedantic point: A Kir with bubbly is a Kir Royale.

There, I feel so much better now.

What I meant to say was, "We buy Riondo Prosecco and make Kir freakin' Royale with it most of the time"! No doubt it will taste all the better now that I know what the drink is actually called.